Surname Doull - Meaning and Origin
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Doull: What does the surname Doull mean?
The surname Doull is an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Duill, which is a diminutive form of the personal name Dubhghall. The personal name Dubhghall is composed of two elements; dubh, meaning black or dark, and gall, meaning stranger. The combination implies a meaning of ‘dark stranger’ or ‘stranger from something dark’.
The surname Doull originated in the Scottish and Irish region of Ulster, which was previously known as Ulaidh or Ulaid. It is thought that the Doulls may come from the Doire or Doire-Coluim Colaim regions of Irland, where the first bearers of the name were recorded.
In addition, findings suggest that the Doull surname was also common in the Scottish lowlands during the High Middle Ages, so it is possible that the Doulls in Scotland could be descended from the same family as the Doulls in Ireland.
The earliest records from Scotland of the Doull surname come from the 12th century, during the reign of David I. It is likely that the Doulls adopted this spelling of their name to make it easier for English-speaking people to pronounce.
The Doull surname has a range of variants, such as Dunbar, Dowall, Dool, Dule, Dillion, and MacDowall. Today, the name is still relatively common in Scotland and Ulster, as well as in other parts of the British Isles. The meaning of the surname, ‘dark stranger’, still resonates with many people who carry it.
Order DNA origin analysisDoull: Where does the name Doull come from?
The last name Doull is a patronymic name derived from the Scottish-Gaelic personal name that roughly translates to "dark flood". This last name is most commonly associated with the English-speaking world, particularly in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the United States. In Scotland, records dating back to the 15th century show that the Doull name has been present for hundreds of years, particularly in Ayrshire where it is still a common name today.
In Northern Ireland, the Doull name arrived during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century and is now a common name in counties Down and Antrim. In Canada, the Doull family has been present since the 19th century; the majority of Doulls in the country are descended from William Doull, an early settler from Scotland who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1816.
Similarly, early records show that the Doull name arrived in Australia in the 1840s, and the last name Doull is now particularly common in the Australian state of Victoria, particularly the Otway region. In the United States, the first Doull to arrive was in 1883 and the last name is now most common in Alaska and the western states, such as Washington, Oregon, and California.
Variations of the surname Doull
The Doull surname is an uncommon Scottish name of Celtic origin. It is thought to have derived from the Gaelic-language ‘dooille’, meaning ‘dun,’ which translates to ‘dark or black hill.’ The name is often spelled as Douill, Dowall, and Dowell, the latter of which is the most common spelling of the Doull surname today.
Variants of the Doull surname can be found in several countries, including Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, and the United States. Common variants in Ireland are Dole, while the Welsh counterpart is Duwall or Dwoll. In England, variants often seen are Dowle or Dowling while in Scotland the spellings can be Doule, Dowle, Dowal, or Dole.
In the United States, the Doull surname is believed to have been brought to North American shores by early Scottish settlers. Today, spellings of the Doull name often found in the country are Dowall, Dowell, Dowle, and Doule.
The Doull surname is also found in many forms in other countries across the world, including Canada and Australia. In Australia, there were many Scottish settlers who adopted the name, and variants of Doull often seen in the country include Doule, Dowal, Dowe, and Dowle.
Other surnames which have similar origins and meanings to the Doull surname include Dooley, Dooley, Doullly, Dowley, Dull, and Dullard.
Famous people with the name Doull
- Craig Doull: Canadian Olympic gold medalist in cycling
- Steve Doull: Canadian professional baseball player
- Johnny Doull: Canadian professional hockey player
- Jeff Doull: Canadian professional rugby player
- Jack Doull: British illustrator, caricaturist and engraver
- John Doull: Canadian composer
- Ralph Doull: Canadian entrepreneur
- James Doull: British writer
- Tracey Doull: Canadian figure skater
- David Doull: Canadian artist and sculptor