Explore the Family Name Downey
The meaning of Downey
1. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dúnadhaigh ‘descendant of Dúnadhach’, a personal name meaning ‘fortress-holder’ (from dún ‘fortress, fortified hill’). 2. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Maol Dhomhnaigh, or of Mac Giolla Dhomnaigh (see Maloney). 3. Scottish: habitational name from the Scottish barony of Downie or Duny in the parish of Monikie in Angus (on Tayside), named from Gaelic dùn ‘hill’ + the locative suffix -ach. 4. English: habitational name from any of several places in Devon called Downhayne or Downhays, particularly Downhayne in Colyton. The placename derives from singular and plural forms of Old English (ge)haeg ‘enclosure’ (in later Devon usage ‘farm’) situated on a hill (Old English dūn). 5. English: topographic name denoting someone who lived either ‘(at the) hilly island’, Middle English doun(e), dun(e) ‘hill, elevation’ + ei ‘island’ (Old English dūn + īeg), or someone who lived ‘(at the) dark island’, Middle English don, dun(ne) ‘dark’ + ei ‘island’ (Old English dunn + īeg). However, it is not certain that this name survived as a hereditary surname. 6. Americanized form of French Danis. History: Some of the American bearers of the surname Downey are descendants of Honoré Danis or Dany dit Tourangeau from France (see Danis).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Downey in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Downey has slightly decreased over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 1,225, but dropped to 1,320 by 2010, marking a 7.76% decrease in ranking. However, the actual count of people with the Downey surname saw a marginal increase of 1.61%, rising from 26,206 in 2000 to 26,627 in 2010. The representation per 100,000 people also fell by 7% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,225 | #1,320 | -7.76% |
| Count | 26,206 | 26,627 | 1.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.71 | 9.03 | -7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Downey
Turning to the ethnic identity associated with the Downey surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates slight shifts over a decade. The percentage identifying as White decreased marginally from 89.47% in 2000 to 88.35% in 2010. The Hispanic proportion rose by 39.05%, albeit from a smaller base of 1.69% to 2.35%. Those identifying as Black and Asian/Pacific Islander also saw increases of 1.47% and 19.23% respectively. Individuals identifying with two or more races also increased their share from 1.35% to 1.65%. Conversely, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group noted a slight decline from 0.86% to 0.83%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.47% | 88.35% | -1.25% |
| Black | 6.11% | 6.2% | 1.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 2.35% | 39.05% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.65% | 22.22% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 0.83% | -3.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.62% | 19.23% |
Downey ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Downey is British & Irish, which comprises 55.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.9% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Eastern European | 4.9% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Downey
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Downey have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
What Downey haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Downey is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-A923, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Downing, Kelly, Morrison, Kelley, Patterson, Murray, Black, Robertson, Connor, Thomson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Downey surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Downey have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Downey" Surname 41.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Downey" Surname 28.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Downey" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Downey" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Downey?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Downey are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition