2000
#1,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.33
Uncommon Last name
Downing
Derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "fortified hill," likely referring to someone who lived near a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,850 Americans carry the last name Downing. That puts it at #1,248 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Downing 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 Downing with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
32K
1 in 10,762
Census rank
#1,248
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,775 bearers of the surname Downing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1248th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Downing, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Downing
The surname Downing has its origins in England, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. Derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill and "ing" indicating a place, the name initially referred to someone who lived near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This historical document mentions individuals with the surname Downing, indicating their presence in various parts of England at that time.
During the 13th century, the surname Downing began appearing in various records and manuscripts, often associated with place names such as Downingbury and Downington. These locations were likely situated on or near hills, reflecting the name's original meaning.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Downing throughout history is Sir George Downing (1624-1684), a renowned English soldier, diplomat, and the founder of Downing College at the University of Cambridge. Another prominent figure was Calybute Downing (1606-1644), an English clergyman and one of the founders of Harvard College in Massachusetts.
Andrew Downing (1815-1852), an American landscape gardener and horticulturist, played a significant role in shaping the American landscape design of the 19th century. His influential work, "A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening," remains a classic in the field.
In the realm of literature, Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1867) was an American writer and editor known for his works on architecture and landscape gardening. His writings significantly influenced the development of American architecture and urban planning.
Sir George Downing (1685-1749), an English baronet and politician, served as a Member of Parliament for Dunwich and Callington. His contributions to public service and his involvement in local politics were notable during his lifetime.
These are just a few examples of the numerous individuals throughout history who bore the surname Downing, each leaving their mark on various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Downing
Among Census respondents with the surname Downing, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Downing 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 Downing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.6% · 21,555
- Black or African American12.5% · 3,459
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,238
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 1,038
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 279
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 206
Timeline
Historical Census data for Downing
Downing 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
#1,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,880
+1,001 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 9.79
Rank movement Down 71 places
2020
#1,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,775
-1,105 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 9.29
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,154 | 27,879 | 10.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,225 | 28,880 | 9.79 | +1,001 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 71 places |
| 2020 | #1,248 | 27,775 | 9.29 | -1,105 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 23 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 Downing 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 | #1,225 | #1,248 | -1.9% |
| Count | 28,880 | 27,775 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.79 | 9.29 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Downing bearers went from 28,880 to 27,775 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,225 to #1,248.
FAQ
Downing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Downing?
Name Census estimates that about 31,850 living Americans carry the surname Downing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,762 residents.
How common is Downing?
Downing ranks #1,248 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,775 people with the surname Downing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Downing.
Has Downing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Downing went from 28,880 recorded bearers to 27,775. That is a decrease of 1,105 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,225 to #1,248.
What does the Census say about the background of Downing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Downing, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Downing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.6% (21,555 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Downing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.6%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Downing (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 Downing mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "fortified hill," likely referring to someone who lived near a hill. 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 Downing (9.29 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 Downing?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.