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

Downer, 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 Downer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Downer in America

Downer is the 6436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Downer surname appeared 5,277 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Downer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Downer 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 Downer

The surname Downer has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dun," meaning a hill or a down, referring to someone who lived near or on a hillside.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Walter le Downer, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname suggests that it was originally a descriptive name or a reference to a place.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Downer, Dounere, and Downere, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional dialects.

The name Downer was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was recorded as "Willelmus le Dounere." This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by this time.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Downer, a prominent merchant and landowner in Oxfordshire during the 16th century. He is mentioned in several historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1524.

In the 17th century, the Downer family had a presence in Norfolk, with William Downer (1589-1662) serving as a clergyman and author. His son, John Downer (1615-1672), was a renowned physician and author of medical texts.

Another notable figure was Samuel Downer (1670-1748), a successful merchant and ship owner from Boston, Massachusetts. He played a crucial role in the early development of the city's maritime trade.

The Downer surname can also be traced back to the village of Downer in Somerset, which likely contributed to the name's origin and early use. This connection is evidenced by records from the 16th and 17th centuries mentioning individuals from Downer or with the surname Downer of Downer.

Throughout history, the Downer surname has been associated with various occupations and social statuses, ranging from landowners and merchants to clergymen and authors, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Downer

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

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 Downer 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 Downer 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 Downer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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