Find out how popular the last name Down is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Down.

Down, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Down surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Down in America

Down is the 22989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Down surname appeared 1,112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Down.

We can also compare 2010 data for Down to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Down

The surname Down is of English origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "dun," which means "hill" or "down." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a down or a hill.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in various records and documents from southern England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named William de la Dune is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a John atte Doun. This spelling variation indicates the name's connection to a place or location.

The Down surname was also present in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book was slightly different, appearing as "Dune" or "Duna."

One notable person with the surname Down was Richard Down, a 16th-century English cartographer and mapmaker, born in 1512. His work included creating maps of various counties in England.

Another notable figure was Olinthus Gregory Down, an English mathematician and Baptist minister, born in 1776 and died in 1859. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and published several works on the subject.

In the 19th century, John Langdon Haydon Down, born in 1828 and died in 1896, was a British physician and the namesake of Down syndrome, a genetic condition he first described in 1866.

Andrew Dickson Down, born in 1828 and died in 1892, was an American engineer and inventor who patented several designs for elevators and other mechanical devices.

Lastly, John Down, born in 1924 and died in 2019, was a British actor known for his roles in numerous television series and films, including "The Ipcress File" and "Gosford Park."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Down, which has its roots in the Old English language and a connection to geographical features such as hills and downs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Down

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Down.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Down was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Down has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Down was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Down, please contact us.

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