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

Downie, 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 Downie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Downie in America

Downie is the 11555th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Downie surname appeared 2,720 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Downie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Downie 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 Downie

The surname Downie has its origins in Scotland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning a hill or fort, and "dunie" meaning a small hill or mound. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a particular hill or fortification.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. An entry lists a "Thomas de Douny" from Stirlingshire. The spelling variations at the time included Downie, Dounny, Douny, and Dunie.

In the 16th century, the Downie name became more widespread in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire. The town of Kilwinning in Ayrshire has references to a "Downie's Lands" dating back to the 1500s, likely named after a local landowner.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Downie surname was John Downie, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who was born around 1570. He is mentioned in various legal records and property transactions from that time period.

Another notable figure was Robert Downie (1610-1678), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1668 until his death. He was a respected scholar and played a significant role in the academic and religious life of 17th century Scotland.

In the 18th century, James Downie (1734-1823) was a Scottish portrait painter known for his works depicting members of the Scottish nobility and gentry. He studied under the renowned artist Allan Ramsay and achieved success as a portraitist in Edinburgh.

The surname Downie also has connections to the maritime history of Scotland. Captain John Downie (1781-1828) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. He was killed in action during the Battle of Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain in 1814.

In the 19th century, Sir James Downie (1824-1900) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and the development of the City of Melbourne.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Downie

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

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

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

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