Downes (surname)
family name

Downes (Irish: Ó Dubháin), is a surname of Irish and English origin, and may refer to:
Aaron Downes (born 1985), Australian footballer
Aidan Downes (born 1988), Irish footballer
Alexander Downes (1868–1950), Australian-born rugby player and cricketer who relocated to New Zealand
Andrew Downes (scholar) (c. 1549–1628), English classical scholar
Andrew Downes (composer) (1950–2023), British classical composer
Arthur Downes (1883–1956), Scottish sailor who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Arthur Downes (police officer) (1895–1984), British-born New Zealand soldier, clerk, salesman and policeman
Austin Downes (1905–1979), American football player at the University of Georgia
Bessie Downes (1860–1920) Elizabeth (Bessie) Downes, botanical artist, Southport, UK
Bob Downes (born 1937), English avant-garde jazz flautist and saxophonist
Bobby Downes (footballer) (born 1949), English footballer
Bobby Downes (film producer) (born 1967), American movie producer, elder brother of Kevin Downes
Disappearance of Charlene Downes (1989–2003), English suspected murder victim
Danny Downes (born 1986), American mixed martial artist
David Downes (disambiguation), multiple people
Doris Downes (born 1961), American botanical artist, painter of natural history, and writer
Edward Downes (1911–2001), American musicologist, critic and quizmaster for the Metropolitan Opera
Sir Edward Downes (1924–2009), British conductor
Flynn Downes (born 1999), English footballer
Francis Downes (1606–48), English politician
Fred Downes (1855–1917), Australian politician
Garry Downes (born 1944), Australian judge
Geoff Downes (born 1952), English rock songwriter, record producer, and musician
Henry Downes (disambiguation), multiple people (including Harry)
John Downes (disambiguation), multiple people
Johnny Haddon Downes (1920–2004), English Royal Air Force flyer and television producer
Joseph M. Downes (before 1946 – 1993), American politician in Massachusetts
Julia Downes (born before 1982), songwriter, musician and producer
Katie Downes (born 1984), English glamour model
Kerry Downes (1930–2019), English architectural historian, son of Ralph Downes
Kevin Downes (born 1972), American actor, writer, producer and director, younger brother of Bobby Barnes
Kevin Downes (hurler) (born 1991), Irish hurler
Kit Downes (born before 2007), British jazz pianist
Kyle Downes (born 1983), Canadian-American actor
Lara Downes, American classical pianist and cultural activist
Larry Downes (born before 1998), American internet industry analyst and author on business strategies and information technology
Lawrence Downes (born before 1986), American journalist
Lorraine Downes (born 1964), New Zealand dancer and beauty queen
Major Downes (1834–1923), British army officer
Mark Downes (born 1974), English cricketer
Melissa Downes (born 1971), Australian broadcast journalist
Mike Downes (born 1979), American telecom entrepreneur and iconic world traveler
Miranda Downes (died 1985), Australian screenwriter
Olin Downes (1886–1955), American classical music critic
P. G. Downes (AKA Spike Downes, 1909–59), American school teacher, author and explorer
Paul Downes (born before 1968), English folk guitarist, singer and composer
Percy Downes (1905–89), English footballer
Rackstraw Downes (born 1939), British-born realist painter and author
Ralph Downes (1904–93), English organist, father of Kerry Downes
Rebecca Downes, English blues rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and vocal coach
Richard Downes (journalist) (active from 1985), Irish broadcaster and journalist
Robin Atkin Downes (born 1978), English screen and voice actor
Roger Downes (before 1601 – 1638), English lawyer and politician
Rupert Downes (1885–1945), Australian soldier, general, surgeon and historian
Sean Downes ( 1962–1984), Irish republican and plastic bullet victim
Stephen Downes (disambiguation), multiple people (including Steve and Steven)
Terry Downes (1936–2017), British professional boxer
Thomas William Downes (1868–1938), New Zealand historian, ethnologist and river works supervisor
Tony Downes (active 2012), British academic lawyer
Tyrone Downes (born 1957), Barbadian professional boxer
Wally Downes (born 1961), English football player, manager and coach
Willard A. Downes (1908–2000), American artist and illustrator
William Downes (disambiguation), multiple people
See also
Baron Downes, a former title in the peerage of Ireland
Downes v.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Downes (surname)” as family name. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as family name. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 22, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q11705971. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1985, 1988, 1868 and 1950.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Downes (surname)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Downes (surname) primary sources, Downes (surname) archive and Downes research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Downes (surname)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Downes (surname)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.