NameCensus.

UK surname

Downard

A locational surname referring to someone from a downward direction or area.

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Downard surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 145, ranked #24,293, down from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, Hove and St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sevenoaks, Medway and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Downard is 154 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.8%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

145

2016, ranked #24,293

Peak year

2011

154 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Downard had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016, ranked #24,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Downard surname distribution map

The map shows where the Downard surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Downard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Downard over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 94 #17,837
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 136 #19,601
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 136 #18,962
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 130 #23,785
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 122 #24,874
2003 modern 118 #25,146
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 143 #22,924
2008 modern 147 #22,720
2009 modern 152 #22,716
2010 modern 151 #23,377
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 145 #24,293

Geography

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Where Downards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tunbridge, Bidborough, Hove, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford, Brighton and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sevenoaks, Medway, Milton Keynes, Horsham and Brighton and Hove. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 Hove Sussex
3 St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford London (South Districts)
4 Brighton Sussex
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sevenoaks 011 Sevenoaks
2 Medway 033 Medway
3 Milton Keynes 011 Milton Keynes
4 Horsham 008 Horsham
5 Brighton and Hove 025 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Downard

These lists show first names that appear often with the Downard surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Downard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Downard, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Downard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Downard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Downard is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Downard is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Downard falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Downard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Downard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Downard

The surname Downard is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the more common surname Downer, which itself is derived from the Old English word "dun" meaning hill or down. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived on or near a hill or down.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Downard surname can be found in the Feet of Fines for Lancashire in 1351, which mentions a John Dounard. This document provides evidence that the name was present in northern England by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Downard spelling appears in parish records from the county of Norfolk. A baptismal record from 1583 in the parish of Aylsham notes the christening of Joane Downard, daughter of Thomas Downard. This suggests the name had spread to eastern England by this time.

The Downard name is also found in early colonial records from the 17th century. Edward Downard, born in 1623 in England, was among the early settlers of Virginia, arriving in the colony in 1638. He later acquired land in what is now Westmoreland County, Virginia.

Another notable bearer of the Downard name was John Downard, a 17th century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1644 in Cheshire and became the rector of Swinstead in Lincolnshire. His published works include a book on the doctrine of the Trinity titled "A Modest Defence of the Outworks" from 1687.

In the 18th century, the Downard surname can be found in Ireland, likely carried there by English settlers. One example is William Downard, born around 1740 in County Antrim. He later emigrated to America, settling in Pennsylvania in the 1760s.

Other historical figures with the Downard surname include Thomas Downard, a 19th century English landscape painter born in 1792, and John Downard, an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire in the mid-1800s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Downard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Downard surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 42 Downards recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.46x.

County Total Index
Sussex 42 21.46x
Middlesex 40 3.45x
Kent 16 4.04x
Devon 9 3.73x
Surrey 7 1.24x
Northumberland 3 1.74x
Cheshire 2 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 16 Downards recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.53x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 16 40.53x
Hove 12 139.70x
St Pancras London 11 11.77x
Islington London 10 8.89x
Keymer 10 724.64x
Kensington London 9 13.95x
Deptford St Paul 8 26.20x
Plymouth St Andrew 8 42.99x
Twickenham 6 120.48x
Wandsworth 5 44.76x
Horsham 4 105.26x
Pembury 4 714.29x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 33.52x
Battersea 2 4.68x
Hackney London 2 3.07x
Chartham 1 101.01x
Darenth 1 163.93x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 31.85x
Great Torrington 1 72.99x
Haslington 1 138.89x
Macclesfield 1 8.78x
Rochester St Margaret 1 23.92x
St Luke London 1 5.37x
Tottenham 1 5.41x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Downard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Downard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Downard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Downard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Downard surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Downard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016. That gives Downard a modern rank of #24,293.

What does the Downard surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from a downward direction or area.

What does the Downard map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Downard bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.