Downer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The Anglo-Saxon name Downer comes from when the family resided as inhabitants by the down. The surname Downer is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Downer family

The surname Downer was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Downer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Downer research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1407 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Downer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downer Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Downer has been recorded under many different variations, including Downer, Downyer, Downar and others.

Early Notables of the Downer family

Notables of the family at this time include

Downer Ranking

In the United States, the name Downer is the 6,765th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Downer migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Downer or a variant listed above:

Downer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Downer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Downer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Downer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Downer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Downer migration to Australia +

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

Downer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Downer 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:

Downer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Downer (post 1700) +
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