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Downning Family History

Downning Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Downing, Dorning, Ronning, Dunning, Lonning, Dowling, Denning

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Downning family from?

You can see how Downning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Downning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Downning families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there was 1 Downning family living in Essex. This was 100% of all the recorded Downning's in United Kingdom. Essex had the highest population of Downning families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Downning 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 Downning ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Carpenter was the top reported job for people in the USA named Downning. 100% of Downning men worked as a Carpenter.

View Census Data for Downning | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Carpenter
    100%

What Downning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 519 census records available for the last name Downning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Downning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Downning

Passenger Lists

There are 19 immigration records available for the last name Downning. 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 Downning immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35 military records available for the last name Downning. For the veterans among your Downning ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Downning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Downning family history

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What is the average Downning lifespan?

Average Downning life expectancy in 1975 was 81 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 70.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Downning

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Downning 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Downning family tree

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