Down syndrome was named after British doctor John Langdon Down.
Down syndrome . It is named after John Langdon Down , the British doctor who fully described the syndrome in 1866 . John Langdon Haydon Down , DS ( 18 November 1828 -- 7 October 1896 ) , was a British physician best known for his description of a relatively common genetic disorder , now known as Down syndrome , which he originally classified in 1862 .