Map ofGaelic Ireland showing its territory of theUlaidh orUlidia (kingdom) circa 900 A.D. Downey is anIrish surname that means in English “belonging to a fort”. The name is found from ancient times in areas of Ireland's modern County Galway, southwest Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Ulster and Leinster and is believed to be the surname of three distinct families.[ 1] Ulaid petty-kingdom of Cinel Amhalgaidh, now known in the Anglicised form asClanawley inCounty Down .[ 2]
Notable people named Downey include:
Aaron Downey (born 1974), Canadian ice hockey player and coachAlberto Downey (1890-?), Chilean cyclistAlexander Downey (1817–1898), American judgeAlfred Downey (1897-?), Irish footballerAllen B. Downey (born 1967), American computer scientistAngela Downey (born 1957), Irish camogie playerAnn Downey (born 1957), Irish camogie playerBill Downey (1923–2015), American basketball playerBrad Downey (born 1980), American artist, political activist and filmmakerBrian Downey (actor) (born 1944), Canadian actorBrian Downey (drummer) (born 1951), Irish drummerBrian C. Downey (1950–2012), Canadian politicianBruce Downey , American businessperson and former CEOCharles L. Downey (1915–1990), American politicianChris Downey (fl. 1998–present ), American writer and producer Chris Downey (footballer) (born 1983), English footballerCliff Downey (1928–2018), Canadian politicianConor Downey (born 1982), Northern Irish footballerDanielle Downey (1980–2014), professional golferDave Downey (1941–2025), American basketball playerDavid Downey (born 1942), Canadian boxerDevan Downey (born 1987), American basketball playerDonnell Downey (1907–1966), Australian cricketerDoug Downey (born 1970), Canadian politicianEdmund Downey (1856–1937), Irish journalist and novelistEoin Downey (born 2003), Irish hurlerEs Downey (1923–2011), Australian rules footballerFairfax Downey (1893–1990), American military historianGarbhan Downey (born 1966), Irish novelist and editorGerald Downey (born 1980), American actorGeraldine Downey (living), Irish-American academic psychologistGlanville Downey (1908–1991), American historianGlen Downey (born 1978), English footballerGlen Downey (writer) (born 1969), Canadian children's author and teacherGlynn Downey (1915–1976), American basketball playerGordon Downey (1928–2022), British ombudsmanHal Downey (1877–1959), American hematologistHarris Downey (1907–1979), American writerHarry O. Downey (1897–1974), Canadian politicianHenry Downey (born 1966), Irish hurler and gaelic footballerHugh Downey (fl. 1940s), Northern Irish politicianJack Downey (1921–2006), Olympic sailing competitor for AustraliaJames Downey (disambiguation) Jim Downey (comedian) (born 1952), American actor and comedianJim Downey (politician) (born 1942), Canadian politicianJimmy Downey (born 1987), Australian soccer playerJo-Anna Downey (1966–2016), Canadian comedianJoann Downey (born 1966), American politicianJohn Downey (disambiguation) Jonathan Downey (born 1983), American businessmanJoseph Downey (cricketer) (1895–1934), Australian cricketerJoseph Downey (Newfoundland politician) (1852–1933), Canadian politicianJoseph Downey (Ontario politician) (1865–1926), Canadian politicianJuan Downey (1940–1993), Chilean video artistJune Downey (1875–1932), American psychologistJustin Downey (born 1986), South African rugby union footballerKarrie Downey (born 1973), American volleyball playerKeith Downey (agricultural scientist) (born 1927), Canadian agricultural scientistKeith Downey (politician) , Minnesota politicianLesley Ann Downey (c. 1954–1964), child murder victimMarg Downey (born 1961), Australian comedianMargaret Downey , American atheist activistMike Downey (columnist) (1951–2024), American newspaper columnistMike Downey (producer) , 21st century Irish-British film producerMortimer L. Downey (1936–2023), American government officialMorton Downey (1901–1985), American singer nicknamed "The Irish Nightingale"Morton Downey Jr. (1932–2001), American singer, songwriter and talk show host ofThe Morton Downey Jr. Show Pat Downey (American football) (born 1974), American football centerPat Downey (barrister) (1927–2017), New Zealand lawyerPat Downey (wrestler) (born 1992), American freestyle wrestlerRay Downey (born 1968), Canadian boxerRichard Downey (1881–1953), Irish-born Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, EnglandRobert Downey (hurler) (born 1999)Robert Downey Sr. (1936–2021), originally Robert Elias Jr., actor, writer and film directorRobert Downey Jr. (born 1965), American actorRod Downey (born 1957), New Zealand and Australian mathematician and computer scientistRoma Downey (born 1960), Irish actress and producerShannon Downey , American crafter and activistShem Downey (1922–2013), Irish hurlerSheridan Downey (1884–1961), American lawyer and U.S. Senator from CaliforniaSusan Downey (born 1973), American film producer, wife of Robert Downey Jr.Thomas Downey (born 1949), American attorney, lobbyist and former politicianTom Downey (1884–1961), American Major League Baseball playerW. & D. Downey (William and Daniel), photographersWilliam Downey (Medal of Honor) (c. 1832–1909), Irish-born American Civil War soldier awarded the Medal of HonorDownie , a related surname, chiefly Scottish^ Rev. Patrick Woulfe, Priest of the Diocese of Limerick, Member of the Council, National Academy of Ireland,Irish Names and Surnames , © 1967 Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, in Irish and English, p 519, (The name was also found in Ulster [...]) ^ John O'Hart ,Irish Pedigrees; or, The Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation , 5th edition, in two volumes, originally published in Dublin in 1892, reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976, Vol. 1, p 819Surname list
This page lists people with the
surname Downey .
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