Contents [hide]

Downey History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Downey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Downey

What does the name Downey mean?

Downey is a Dalriadan-Scottish name, no doubt originally for a person who lived in the old barony of Duny or Downy, which was also called Douney in 1331, in the parish of Monikie, Angus. The surname is still commonplace in the district and Downie is one of the oldest names in the parish of Kemnay. 1

Early Origins of the Downey family

The surname Downey was first found in the parish of Monikie in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

One of the first records of the name was Duncan de Dunny who witnessed a discussion of boundaries of Tulloes (Tulloch) and Conon in 1254. Alexander Downy or Douny held land of the abbot of Arbroath in 1330, and Mury Dunny, forestaller in Aberdeen, is mentioned in 1402. 1

Early History of the Downey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Downey research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1402, 1550, 1614, 1620, 1675, 1800, 1823, 1838, 1843 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Downey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. Downey has appeared in various documents spelled Downey, Downie, Downy, MacIldowney, MacIldownie, MacDowney, MacDownie, O'Downey and many more.

Early Notables of the Downey family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was William Dauney, " son of William Dauney of Falmouth, Jamaica, was born at Aberdeen in the year 1800. He commenced his education at Dulwich, and completed it at the University of Edinburgh. On June 13, 1823, he was called to the Scottish bar. He found in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh a MS. collection of music, written between 1614 and 1620 and known as the Skene Manuscript. It consists of 114 English and Scottish ballad, song, and dance tunes, written in tableture. This manuscript Dauney deciphered and published...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Downey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downey World Ranking

In the United States, the name Downey is the 1,235^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Downey is ranked the 950^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,686 people with that name. 3 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Downey is the 201^st popular surname with an estimated 208 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Downey family to Ireland

Some of the Downey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downey migration to the United States +

Many who arrived from Scotland settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would go on to become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many settlers who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Their descendants later began to recover the lost Scottish heritage through events such as the highland games that dot North America in the summer months. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Downey family emigrate to North America:

Downey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Downey who went to Pennsylvania in 1711
Darby Downey, who sailed to America in 1738
Elizabeth Downey went to Philadelphia in 1745
Elizabeth Downey, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 5
Daniel Downey, who settled in New England in 1748
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Downey, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 5
Charles Downey, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 5
Peter Downey, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 5
Dennis Downey, aged 44, who landed in Missouri in 1847 5
Patrick Downey went to Boston in 1849 when he was 26
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

C. R. Downey went to Oregon in the year 1900

Downey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Downey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Judith Downey, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1820
Sarah Downey, who settled in Quebec in 1824
Calvin C Downey, who arrived in Canada in 1828
John Downey, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" from London, England
Anne Downey, aged 28, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" from London, England
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Downey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Downey, (b. 1788), aged 32, Irish labourer who was convicted in Galway, Ireland for 7 years for sedition, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Daniel Downey, Welsh convict who was convicted in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Patrick Downey, a carpenter, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Thomas Downey, a carpenter, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. John Downey, English convict who was convicted in Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Downey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Downey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Downey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
John Downey, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
John Downey, aged 23, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Mary Downey, aged 23, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
Mr. John Downey, (b. 1816), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Downey (post 1700) +

Robert John Downey Jr. (b. 1965), Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning American actor and musician, from 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor
Mike Downey (1951-2024), retired American newspaper columnist
Mortimer Leo Downey III (1936-2023), American government official, Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 2001
Robert John Downey Sr. (1936-2021), American actor, director, producer, writer, cinematographer, and the father of actor Robert Downey Jr
Thomas Joseph Downey (b. 1949), American politician Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1975-1993)
Sean Morton Downey (1932-2001), American singer, songwriter and talk show host, known for his program The Morton Downey, Jr. Show
J. Harold Downey, American politician, Member of Illinois State House of Representatives 41st District, 1945-55 10
Frank X. Downey, American politician, Member of Illinois State House of Representatives, 1957-65, 1965-67 10
Francis W. Downey, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Manchester 5th Ward, 1956 10
Ellen Downey, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1920, 1924 10
... (Another 37 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Downey family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Thomas Shaun Downey, British Seaman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 11

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Francis Downey, British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 12

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Edward Downey, English Trimmer from Seacombe, Cheshire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 13

SS Atlantic

Mary Downey, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking
Mr. Thomas Downey, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

SS Newfoundland

Mr. Daniel Downey (1892-1914), Newfoundlander from St. John's, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he died during this time

Sources +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/