Downey
A masculine name derived from a place name referring to a hilly or down area.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Downey. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Downey today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Downey births was 1926 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Downey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Downey. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1926
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1926 SSA rank
#3,829
Tracked since 1926
Popularity
Downey: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Downey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Downey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Downey
The name Downey is an English name derived from the Old English word "dun," meaning "hill" or "down." It originated in medieval England, where it was commonly used as a place name or surname to describe someone who lived near or on a hill or down.
In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled "Dunie" or "Dunie," and it was often used as a topographic surname to identify people from specific geographic locations. As time passed, the spelling evolved to "Downey," and it became more commonly used as a given name.
While there are no known historical references to the name Downey in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various historical records and literature throughout the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Downey was Sir John Downey, an English nobleman who lived during the 14th century. Another notable figure was Robert Downey, an Irish Catholic priest and theologian who lived in the 16th century and was known for his writings on Catholic doctrine.
In the 18th century, Caleb Downey was an American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill. During the same period, William Downey was an Irish-born pirate and privateer who operated in the Caribbean and was eventually captured and executed in 1789.
In the 19th century, Andrew Jackson Downey was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 6th Governor of California from 1859 to 1860. Another notable figure was Andrew Downey, an Irish-born engineer and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical process for making milk powder in the late 1800s.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the name Downey is the American actor Robert Downey Jr., who was born in 1965 and is known for his roles in films such as "Iron Man," "Sherlock Holmes," and "Tropic Thunder."
People
Downey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Downey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Downey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Downey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Downey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Downey a common name?
We classify Downey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Downey most popular?
The single biggest year for Downey was 1926, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Downey is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Downey in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Downey a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Downey in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Downey still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Downey in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Downey can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Downey?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.