The English and Irish surname Downes is a  name for a downland dweller, from the Old English term dun meaning “a down, or a low hill.’ When found in Ireland it is a reduced anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Dubháin, found mainly on counties Clare and Limerick. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas de la Duna. which was dated C.1170, 'Middle English Local Names', Sussex. John Downes, sat for Arundel in the Long Parliament of 1642 and was one of those who signed Charles I's death-warrant. In the 2010 US census there were almost 6,000 people with the surname Downes living in The United States.

DOWNES FAMILY CREST CUFFLINKS