Downar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Downar

The ancestors of the Downar surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived as inhabitants by the down. The surname Downar 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 Downar family

Early History of the Downar family

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

Downar Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Downar include Downer, Downyer, Downar and others.

Early Notables of the Downar family

More information is included under the topic Early Downar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Downar family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Joseph Downer, who settled in Newbury in 1662; Henry Downer, who settled in Virginia in 1654; Robert Downer, who arrived in Maryland in 1677; and then settled in Salisbury in N.Carolina.