Find out how popular the last name Gower is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gower.

Gower, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gower surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gower in America

Gower is the 5317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gower surname appeared 6,554 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gower.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gower to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gower

The surname Gower originated in England during the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gara," meaning "triangular piece of land." The name refers to someone who lived near a triangular plot of land or a specific area known as "Gower" in South Wales.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Gower dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gouard." This suggests that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Gower was John Gower, an English poet and contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. Born around 1330, Gower was a significant contributor to medieval English literature and is best known for his works "Confessio Amantis" and "Vox Clamantis."

Another prominent individual with the Gower surname was Sir Erasmus Gower, an English politician and landowner who lived from 1617 to 1689. He served as a Member of Parliament and played a role in the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John Gower, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the fields of science and navigation. He was born in 1675 and is known for his work on calculating the positions of celestial bodies.

The name Gower is also associated with several place names in England and Wales, such as Gower Peninsula in South Wales and the village of Gower in Gloucestershire, England. These places may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

Other notable individuals with the Gower surname include George Gower, an English lawyer and judge born in 1558, and William Gower, an English artist and engraver who lived from 1766 to 1832.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gower

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gower.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gower was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gower has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gower was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gower, please contact us.

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