The Downey surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 26,627 people carried this name — #1,320 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 26,206 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 91 births for the Downey name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 4,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 42
Ulster 22
Leinster 16
Connacht 11

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

25 people named Downey is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 25

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In the first U.S. census, 1790

43 families named Downey, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 230 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maryland 20
North Carolina 10
Pennsylvania 6
Virginia 2
South Carolina 2
Vermont 1
Massachusetts 1
Connecticut 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 238 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Downey in American newspapers,
1915–1921.

Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Downey
Daily Kennebec Journal 1921-09-06
Newspaper page from Great Falls Tribune carrying the name Downey
Great Falls Tribune 1921-09-06
Newspaper page from The Ronan Pioneer carrying the name Downey
The Ronan Pioneer 1915-07-30

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 215,837 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Downey in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

36,966 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Downey. The most, 7,314, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,278
Victoria 8,416
Queensland 7,729
Western Australia 4,565
South Australia 2,166
Tasmania 584
ACT (Canberra) 169
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Downey.

Who carried it

People named Downey,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John G. Downey
    John G. Downey 1827–1894 · politician
  • Maria Downey
    Maria Downey 1836–1883
  • Stephen Wheeler Downey
    Stephen Wheeler Downey 1839–1902 · lawyer
  • John F. Downey
    John F. Downey 1871–1947 · writer
  • June Downey
    June Downey 1875–1932 · psychologist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 226 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Downey,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States5,391 records

5,391 records of the Downey name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,492
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,394
  • Other U.S. records 2,505
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Clay Edward Downey

    Born 1946; from Jackson, Ohio. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Sterling B. Downey

    Born 1925 in Kentucky. Enlisted 1943 at Louisville; auto mechanic from Jefferson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Grub Ridge Cemetery, Pleasureville, Kentucky.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Downey

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 24; domestic. From Liverpool, England; bound for Boston.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 5,391 records for Downey in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,218 records

1,218 records of the Downey name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 512
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 244
  • Other Australian records 462
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Eliza Downey

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the East London, sailing from Dublin in 1843. Native of Dublin, Dublin. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catherine Jane Downey

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844. Married 1844 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Downey

    Arrived in Victoria in 1889 aboard the Hohenzollern, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,218 records for Downey in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada665 records

665 records of the Downey name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 552
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 24
  • Other Canadian records 89
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record James Downey

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bella Downey

    Came to Ontario in 1881 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alan Herbert Downey

    Buried in 1961 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 28.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 665 records for Downey in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom40 records

40 records of the Downey name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 24
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 14
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Downey

    Buried in 1818 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 63.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Jenkin Downey

    Will proved in 1938; of Neath.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Downey

    Manchester Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 40 records for Downey in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand14 records

14 records of the Downey name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 13
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eileen Anne Downey

    Died 1986, aged 86; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Matthew Downey

    Buried in 1897 at Buffalo Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 72.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Fanny Downey

    Died 1913, aged 77; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Downey in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland11 records

11 records of the Downey name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Downey

    Died 1989, aged 70; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Brendan Downey

    Died 1982; buried at Labane, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Downey

    Died 1990; buried at Ballygar, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Downey in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Downey name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register James Downey

    In the population register of Middlesbro Yorkshire; priest, born 1884 in Middlesbro Yorkshire.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Richard Kelly Downey

    Died 1966 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 33.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Downey in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Downey name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William David James Downey

    Born 1958 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Lamagdelaine (Lot).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Downey.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Downey is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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