2000
#1,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,206
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.71
Uncommon Last name
Downey
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dunadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Dunadhach," a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "dun," meaning "fortress," and "aidh," meaning "fire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,106 Americans carry the last name Downey. That puts it at #1,362 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Downey 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 Downey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,776
Census rank
#1,362
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,382 bearers of the surname Downey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1362nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Downey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Downey
The surname Downey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "Dúnaidhe," which means "descendant of the fortified place." It was originally used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or in a fortified town or place.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in County Down, Ireland. The name is believed to have originated in the area around Downpatrick, the county town of County Down. Some of the earliest recorded spellings of the name include Dounay, Downay, and Downey.
In the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle of Irish history, there are references to individuals with the surname Downey as early as the 14th century. One notable mention is Aodh Ó Dúnaidhe, who was described as a "learned poet and historian" in the year 1347.
The Downey surname is also linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Downey's Rock in County Down and Downey's Bridge in County Sligo. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the Downey surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Downey:
1. John Goulding Downey (1827-1894), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the 10th Governor of California from 1860 to 1862.
2. Anne Downey (1590-1672), an Irish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
3. Thomas Downey (1772-1846), an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
4. Edmund Downey (1856-1937), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin, from 1909 to 1937.
5. Robert Downey Jr. (born 1965), an American actor and producer, known for his roles in films such as Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, and Chaplin, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
The Downey surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with its origins dating back to the 12th century. Over the centuries, it has been associated with various historical figures, place names, and events, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Downey
Among Census respondents with the surname Downey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Downey 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 Downey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 21,709
- Black or African American6.1% · 1,543
- Two or more races3.4% · 873
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 861
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 205
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 191
Timeline
Historical Census data for Downey
Downey 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
#1,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,627
+421 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 9.03
Rank movement Down 95 places
2020
#1,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,382
-1,245 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 8.49
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,225 | 26,206 | 9.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,320 | 26,627 | 9.03 | +421 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 95 places |
| 2020 | #1,362 | 25,382 | 8.49 | -1,245 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 42 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 Downey 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 | #1,320 | #1,362 | -3.2% |
| Count | 26,627 | 25,382 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 9.03 | 8.49 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Downey bearers went from 26,627 to 25,382 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,320 to #1,362.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Downey
FAQ
Downey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Downey?
Name Census estimates that about 29,106 living Americans carry the surname Downey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,776 residents.
How common is Downey?
Downey ranks #1,362 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,382 people with the surname Downey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,106), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Downey.
Has Downey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Downey went from 26,627 recorded bearers to 25,382. That is a decrease of 1,245 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,320 to #1,362.
What does the Census say about the background of Downey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Downey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Downey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (21,709 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Downey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Downey (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 Downey mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Dunadhaigh, meaning "descendant of Dunadhach," a personal name composed of the Gaelic elements "dun," meaning "fortress," and "aidh," meaning "fire." 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 Downey (8.49 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 have the surname Downey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.