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

Jow, 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 Jow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jow in America

Jow is the 50362nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jow surname appeared 415 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jow 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 Jow

The surname Jow originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "geolu" or "geol," meaning yellow or pale. It is believed to have been an occupational surname initially given to people who worked with dyes or pigments, particularly those involved in the production of yellow or pale-colored textiles.

Records indicate that the name Jow first appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Gelew" or "Gelu." This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the Old English word for yellow.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William Jow, a cloth merchant from Lincolnshire, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, documenting tax payments and other financial transactions.

During the 13th century, the name Jow was associated with several place names, such as Jow's Hill in Gloucestershire and Jow's Field in Oxfordshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Jow who owned or resided in those areas.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname Jow was Sir William Jow, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived during the reign of King Edward III (1312-1377). Sir William Jow served as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1350 to 1367.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Jow, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 15th century. John Jow was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and authored several treatises on religious subjects.

In the 16th century, the Jow family was well-established in the county of Warwickshire. Thomas Jow (1520-1594) was a wealthy landowner and magistrate in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Robert Jow (1610-1675) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was renowned for his bravery on the battlefield. He was later granted lands in Oxfordshire as a reward for his military service.

In the 18th century, the Jow surname gained prominence in the field of science and exploration. James Jow (1735-1810) was a renowned botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the British colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jow

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

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 Jow 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 Jow 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 Jow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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