NameCensus.

UK surname

Downward

A locational surname given to those residing in a lower part of a geographic region.

In the 1881 census there were 186 people recorded with the Downward surname, ranking it #13,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 333, ranked #13,670, down from #13,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, Burslem and Wem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Shropshire and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Downward is 368 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.0%.

1881 census count

186

Ranked #13,448

Modern count

333

2016, ranked #13,670

Peak year

1998

368 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Downward had 186 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016, ranked #13,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 286 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Downward surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Downward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Downward 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 186 #13,448
1891 historical 214 #14,214
1901 historical 251 #13,102
1911 historical 286 #11,810
1997 modern 323 #12,888
1998 modern 368 #12,096
1999 modern 358 #12,416
2000 modern 359 #12,333
2001 modern 335 #12,759
2002 modern 338 #12,939
2003 modern 337 #12,759
2004 modern 329 #13,027
2005 modern 320 #13,243
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 341 #12,840
2008 modern 341 #12,958
2009 modern 348 #13,020
2010 modern 350 #13,251
2011 modern 336 #13,498
2012 modern 343 #13,158
2013 modern 340 #13,449
2014 modern 338 #13,624
2015 modern 339 #13,493
2016 modern 333 #13,670

Geography

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Where Downwards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, Burslem, Wem, Manchester and Hanmer. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Shropshire and Wirral. 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 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
2 Burslem Staffordshire
3 Wem Shropshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Hanmer Shropshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 010 Wrexham
2 Shropshire 001 Shropshire
3 Wrexham 012 Wrexham
4 Wirral 011 Wirral
5 Shropshire 014 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Downward

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Downward

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Downward, 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 Downward surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Downward 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Downward 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

Downward 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

Downward 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 Downward 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 Downward, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Downward

The surname "Downward" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "dun" meaning "hill" and "weard" meaning "guard" or "watchman." It likely originated in the medieval period, referring to someone who lived near or guarded a hill or dune area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which mentions a John Dounwarde. The variant spelling "Dounwarde" suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a more distinct "oun" sound.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Dounewarde" and "Dounwerd." These variations reflect the fluidity of spelling during that time period before standardization became more common.

The Downward name can be traced back to specific locations in England, such as the village of Downward in Somerset, which may have influenced the surname's development. Additionally, there are records of individuals named Downward in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating the name's deep roots in English history.

Notable individuals with the surname Downward include:

1. Sir John Downward (c. 1480-1545), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.

2. Richard Downward (1615-1678), an English Presbyterian minister and author of several religious works.

3. Mary Downward (1734-1820), a British botanist and one of the earliest female members of the Linnean Society.

4. William Downward (1765-1847), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

5. Edward Downward (1856-1911), a British engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of railway signaling systems.

While the Downward surname may have originated from a specific geographic location or occupation, it has since spread across various regions and taken on a more diverse range of meanings and associations throughout its long history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Downward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Downward 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 65 Downwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 65 2.92x
Shropshire 49 30.28x
Flintshire 29 57.60x
Staffordshire 15 2.37x
Surrey 10 1.10x
Cheshire 8 1.94x
Isle of Man 6 17.25x
Midlothian 4 1.59x
Ayrshire 1 0.71x
Cornwall 1 0.47x
Durham 1 0.18x
Kent 1 0.16x
Middlesex 1 0.05x
Warwickshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 23 Downwards recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.57x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 23 49.57x
Wem 15 622.41x
Hanmer 12 3076.92x
Burslem 11 60.74x
Bronington 9 2093.02x
Camberwell 9 7.52x
Shrewsbury St Mary 8 125.39x
Halliwell 7 86.53x
Braddan 6 315.79x
Malpas Iscoyd 6 2307.69x
Whitchurch Tilstock 6 1500.00x
Great Crosby 5 82.51x
Bilston 4 32.65x
Birkenhead 4 12.14x
Dalton In Furness 4 46.62x
Easthope 4 5714.29x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 4 67.34x
Osmotherley 4 1333.33x
Berrington 3 476.19x
Cound 3 967.74x
Liverpool 3 2.22x
Oldham 3 4.18x
Prees 3 152.28x
Whittington 3 222.22x
Worsley 3 21.90x
Everton 2 2.82x
Heaton Norris 2 15.81x
Salford 2 3.06x
Ulverston 2 30.91x
Aston 1 0.77x
Bowdon 1 60.98x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 1 54.64x
Feock 1 75.19x
Fordwich 1 666.67x
Great Harwood 1 24.88x
Hanmer Halghton 1 384.62x
Hanmer Willington 1 500.00x
Lambeth 1 0.61x
Little Bolton 1 3.50x
Little Lever 1 35.21x
Lymm 1 33.22x
Middle 1 227.27x
Monks Coppenhall 1 6.41x
North Meols 1 4.60x
Over 1 23.81x
Pendlebury 1 21.32x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 17.61x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.03x
Staindrop 1 117.65x
Symington 1 222.22x
Welsh Hampton 1 303.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 15
Elizabeth 12
Mary 9
Hannah 7
Ann 6
Jane 5
Margaret 5
Annie 4
Eliza 3
Fanny 3
Eleanor 2
Harriet 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Elizbth. 1
Esther 1
Hewley 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Nancy 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 16
Thomas 14
James 8
Joseph 8
George 6
Charles 5
Richard 4
Samuel 3
Peter 2
Aldcroft 1
Arthur 1
Edwin 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Hy. 1

FAQ

Downward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Downward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 186 people were recorded with the Downward surname. That placed it at #13,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Downward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 333 in 2016. That gives Downward a modern rank of #13,670.

What does the Downward surname mean?

A locational surname given to those residing in a lower part of a geographic region.

What does the Downward map show?

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