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Downing Family History

Downing Surname Meaning

Irish (Cork and Kerry): sometimes of English origin but in County Kerry it is usually an Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Duinnín (see Dineen).

English: from the Middle English personal name Dun(n)ing Douning (Old English Dunning a derivative of Old English Dunna (see Dunn).

English (Devon): topographic name for someone who lived on the hill an -ing derivative of Middle English doun ‘hill’ equivalent to Downer.

This formation is characteristic of Devon (compare Brooking).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Downing family from?

You can see how Downing families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Downing family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Downing families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 704 Downing families living in Yorkshire. This was about 13% of all the recorded Downing's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Downing families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Downing surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Downing ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Downing. 7% of Downing men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Downing women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Downing were Farm Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Downing | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farmer
    3%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Downing family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 253,000 census records available for the last name Downing. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Downing census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Downing

Passenger Lists

There are 25,000 immigration records available for the last name Downing. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Downing immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 39,000 military records available for the last name Downing. For the veterans among your Downing ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Downing military records

You've only scratched the surface of Downing family history

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What is the average Downing lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Downing life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Downing in 1942 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Downing

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Downing ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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