Downey Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Downey last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Downey last name
Meaning of the Downey last name: descendant of Dúnadhach. Downey is an Irish surname from Gaelic Ó Dúnadhaigh, "descendant of Dúnadhach", a first name linked with dún, "fort". The last name is found in Kerry, Cork and Galway, and in Scotland it can come from Downie. Curiously, the city of Downey in California is named after John Downey, an Irish-born governor of the state.
Arms associated with the Downey name
Coats of arms associated with the Downey surname follow Irish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Downey family history
This is only a glimpse of the Downey story. The full Downey history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Downey coat of arms. Get the full Downey report.
Downey name FAQ
What does the Downey name mean?
Descendant of Dúnadhach. Common variants include Downie, O'Downey.
Where does the Downey surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in England, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Downey coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Downey coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Patrick Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames (1923); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).