2000
#11,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,597
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Downie
Descriptive surname for someone who lived on or near a downhill slope or in a valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,051 Americans carry the last name Downie. That puts it at #11,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,342 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Downie surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Downie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,342
Census rank
#11,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,661 bearers of the surname Downie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Downie, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Downie
Among Census respondents with the surname Downie, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Downie bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Downie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 2,091
- Black or African American12.2% · 325
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 128
- Two or more races3.5% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Downie
Downie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,720
+123 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 360 places
2020
#11,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,661
-59 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,195 | 2,597 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,555 | 2,720 | 0.92 | +123 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 360 places |
| 2020 | #11,334 | 2,661 | 0.89 | -59 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 221 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Downie surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,555 | #11,334 | 1.9% |
| Count | 2,720 | 2,661 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 0.89 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Downie bearers went from 2,720 to 2,661 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 221 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,555 to #11,334.
FAQ
Downie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Downie?
Name Census estimates that about 3,051 living Americans carry the surname Downie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,342 residents.
How common is Downie?
Downie ranks #11,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,661 people with the surname Downie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Downie.
Has Downie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Downie went from 2,720 recorded bearers to 2,661. That is a decrease of 59 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,555 to #11,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Downie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Downie, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Downie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (2,091 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Downie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Black (12.2%), Hispanic (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Downie (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Downie mean?
Descriptive surname for someone who lived on or near a downhill slope or in a valley. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Downie (0.89 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Downie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.