NameCensus.

UK surname

Downey

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dunadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Dunadhach," a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "dun," meaning "fortress," and "aidh," meaning "fire."

In the 1881 census there were 2,112 people recorded with the Downey surname, ranking it #2,092 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,070, ranked #1,668, up from #2,092 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyndford, Liverpool and Braintree.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Downey is 4,297 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.7%.

1881 census count

2,112

Ranked #2,092

Modern count

4,070

2016, ranked #1,668

Peak year

2010

4,297 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Downey had 2,112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,092 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,070 in 2016, ranked #1,668.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,449 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Downey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Downey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Downey 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 1,134 #2,483
1861 historical 1,328 #2,156
1881 historical 2,112 #2,092
1891 historical 2,049 #2,254
1901 historical 2,431 #2,236
1911 historical 2,449 #2,094
1997 modern 3,990 #1,626
1998 modern 4,107 #1,643
1999 modern 4,081 #1,661
2000 modern 4,092 #1,656
2001 modern 3,963 #1,671
2002 modern 4,034 #1,676
2003 modern 3,945 #1,678
2004 modern 3,972 #1,666
2005 modern 3,970 #1,637
2006 modern 4,014 #1,617
2007 modern 4,026 #1,631
2008 modern 4,028 #1,643
2009 modern 4,216 #1,607
2010 modern 4,297 #1,615
2011 modern 4,193 #1,629
2012 modern 4,105 #1,634
2013 modern 4,146 #1,648
2014 modern 4,157 #1,657
2015 modern 4,095 #1,665
2016 modern 4,070 #1,668

Geography

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Where Downeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Toxteth Park and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyndford, Liverpool, Braintree, Cardenden and Sunderland. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyndford Glasgow City
2 Liverpool 040 Liverpool
3 Braintree 004 Braintree
4 Cardenden Fife
5 Sunderland 009 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Downey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Downey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Downey, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Downey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Downey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Downey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Downey is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Downey falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Downey 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 Downey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Downey

The surname Downey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "Dúnaidhe," which means "descendant of the fortified place." It was originally used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or in a fortified town or place.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in County Down, Ireland. The name is believed to have originated in the area around Downpatrick, the county town of County Down. Some of the earliest recorded spellings of the name include Dounay, Downay, and Downey.

In the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle of Irish history, there are references to individuals with the surname Downey as early as the 14th century. One notable mention is Aodh Ó Dúnaidhe, who was described as a "learned poet and historian" in the year 1347.

The Downey surname is also linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Downey's Rock in County Down and Downey's Bridge in County Sligo. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the Downey surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Downey:

1. John Goulding Downey (1827-1894), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the 10th Governor of California from 1860 to 1862. 2. Anne Downey (1590-1672), an Irish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s. 3. Thomas Downey (1772-1846), an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 4. Edmund Downey (1856-1937), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin, from 1909 to 1937. 5. Robert Downey Jr. (born 1965), an American actor and producer, known for his roles in films such as Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, and Chaplin, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.

The Downey surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with its origins dating back to the 12th century. Over the centuries, it has been associated with various historical figures, place names, and events, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Downey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Downey 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. Lancashire leads with 455 Downeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 455 1.86x
Middlesex 348 1.69x
Durham 216 3.52x
Yorkshire 155 0.76x
Northumberland 137 4.46x
Surrey 125 1.24x
Essex 86 2.11x
Devon 76 1.77x
Glamorgan 46 1.28x
Cumberland 42 2.36x
Cheshire 40 0.88x
Lanarkshire 38 0.57x
Staffordshire 37 0.53x
Sussex 35 1.01x
Kent 27 0.38x
Warwickshire 23 0.44x
Gloucestershire 18 0.44x
Renfrewshire 17 1.06x
Midlothian 16 0.58x
Monmouthshire 15 1.00x
Suffolk 15 0.60x
Derbyshire 14 0.43x
Norfolk 13 0.41x
Hampshire 12 0.28x
Channel Islands 9 1.47x
Lincolnshire 7 0.21x
Northamptonshire 7 0.36x
Shropshire 7 0.39x
Worcestershire 7 0.26x
Brecknockshire 6 1.45x
Leicestershire 6 0.26x
Bedfordshire 5 0.47x
Buteshire 5 4.00x
Dorset 5 0.37x
Herefordshire 5 0.59x
Hertfordshire 5 0.35x
Royal Navy 5 2.03x
Wiltshire 5 0.27x
Flintshire 3 0.54x
Merionethshire 3 0.79x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.46x
Ayrshire 2 0.13x
Perthshire 2 0.22x
Somerset 2 0.06x
Anglesey 1 0.27x
Angus 1 0.05x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.11x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.59x
Cornwall 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.18x
Isle of Man 1 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.22x
Wigtownshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 81 Downeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.76x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 81 9.76x
Liverpool 68 4.57x
Westoe 59 16.94x
Poplar London 37 9.49x
Everton 36 4.61x
Kirkdale 31 7.52x
West Ham 31 3.44x
West Derby 28 3.91x
Battersea 26 3.42x
Knottingley 24 66.72x
Limehouse London 24 10.59x
Westgate 24 12.61x
Lambeth 23 1.28x
Bishopwearmouth 22 4.17x
Kensington London 22 1.92x
Bromley London 21 4.62x
St George Hanover Square 21 5.77x
Bermondsey 20 3.25x
Salford 20 2.78x
Barony 19 1.12x
Bradford 19 3.84x
Cliffe 19 161.56x
Hammersmith London 19 3.73x
South Shields 19 34.72x
South Weald 19 54.43x
Hulme 17 3.32x
Islington London 17 0.85x
St Pancras London 17 1.02x
Elswick 16 6.52x
Hackney London 16 1.38x
Oldham 15 1.90x
Shoreditch London 15 1.68x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 5.26x
Southwark St George Martyr 14 3.37x
St Marylebone London 14 1.27x
St Woollos 14 8.40x
Long Melford 13 55.60x
Tormoham 13 7.15x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.34x
Birmingham 12 0.69x
Cleator 12 16.21x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 9.73x
Newchurch 12 5.99x
St Andrew Holborn London 12 13.42x
Byker 11 7.24x
Chester St John Baptist 11 13.42x
Eccleston In Prescot 11 8.94x
Newcastle On Tyne St 11 6.91x
Pelton 11 37.63x
Stockton On Tees 11 3.71x
Tutbury 11 64.74x
Walton On Hill 11 8.29x
Aston 10 0.70x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 2.62x
East Ham 10 13.22x
Gateshead 10 2.17x
Horton In Bradford 10 3.13x
Leeds 10 0.87x
Old Park 10 154.08x
Spofforth Cum Stockeld 10 308.64x
Stranton 10 4.83x
Weetslade 10 186.22x
Barrow In Furness 9 2.70x
Burnley 9 4.36x
Camberwell 9 0.68x
Cheetham 9 4.92x
Chesterfield 9 7.43x
Crosscanonby 9 15.31x
Great Baddow 9 62.07x
Kirkham 9 27.78x
Old Monkland 9 3.40x
Over Darwen 9 4.60x
Roath 9 5.51x
Rollesby 9 226.70x
Woolwich 9 3.46x
Cardiff St Mary 8 4.04x
Leconfield Arram 8 353.98x
Leyton Low 8 9.65x
Mile End Old Town London 8 1.82x
Ormesby 8 14.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 189
Elizabeth 80
Margaret 69
Sarah 45
Ann 39
Catherine 39
Jane 39
Ellen 36
Alice 25
Annie 25
Hannah 16
Eliza 15
Bridget 14
Emma 14
Emily 13
Isabella 13
Julia 12
Charlotte 11
Louisa 11
Martha 10
Anne 9
Florence 9
Caroline 8
Kate 8
Maria 8
Rose 7
Susan 7
Clara 6
Fanny 6
Margt. 6
Teresa 6
Agnes 5
Catharine 5
Eleanor 5
Esther 5
Frances 5
Amy 4
Anna 4
Edith 4
Harriet 4
Harriett 4
Margret 4
Rosina 4
Bertha 3
Bessie 3
Dorothy 3
Johanna 3
Matilda 3
May 3
Ruth 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 171
James 128
William 103
Thomas 83
George 40
Patrick 36
Henry 28
Robert 25
Edward 23
Michael 23
Joseph 21
Daniel 18
Samuel 15
Francis 14
Richard 14
Charles 13
Peter 13
Timothy 13
Alfred 12
Frederick 12
Arthur 10
Dennis 10
Hugh 9
Stephen 7
Andrew 6
David 6
Walter 6
Anthony 5
Ernest 5
Matthew 5
Albert 4
Alexander 4
Cornelius 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Thos. 4
Alexr. 3
Bernard 3
Dawson 3
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Herbert 3
Jas. 3
Laurence 3
Lewis 3
Martin 3
Maurice 3
Owen 3
Wilfred 3
Paul 2

FAQ

Downey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Downey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,112 people were recorded with the Downey surname. That placed it at #2,092 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Downey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,070 in 2016. That gives Downey a modern rank of #1,668.

What does the Downey surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dunadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Dunadhach," a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "dun," meaning "fortress," and "aidh," meaning "fire."

What does the Downey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Downey 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.