Origins of the Downing surname

About the Downings

We have a total of 67582 records for people with the last name Downing.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    Trustpilot logoTrustpilot 5 stars
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Downings.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the Downing family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 135North West 129Isle of Man 4Yorkshire 877East Midlands 183West Midlands 938East 231London 719South East 354South West 293South Wales 30Mid Wales 36West WalesNorth Wales 12Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most Downings lived in west-midlands

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    14,000 Downing Travel & migration records
    53,000 Downings found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about Downing

    How common is your surname?

    786th most common surname in the UK

    We have for the Downing surname. The oldest one dates back to 1538.

    Who were Downings most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married Downings.

    What are the most common Downing first names?

    John

    William

    Mary

    Elizabeth

    Our tell us the names of Downing family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for Downings

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Commmon female occupations for Downings in 1921

    Dressmaker

    232

    General Servant Domestic

    143

    Laundress

    123

    Domestic Servant

    116

    Living On Own Means

    110

    Commmon male occupations for Downings in 1921

    Coal Miner

    219

    Carpenter

    184

    General Labourer

    172

    Agricultural Labourer

    168

    Farmer

    159

    We found over 95,000 family trees with the Downing surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Downings.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of Downing family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname