2000
#15,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,751
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Loew
A surname meaning "lion" originating from German or Jewish origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,156 Americans carry the last name Loew. That puts it at #15,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loew surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,977
Census rank
#15,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,880 bearers of the surname Loew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loew
The surname Loew is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "leu," meaning "lion," which was initially used as a nickname for someone with a lion-like appearance or bravery.
One of the earliest known records of the name Loew can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was prevalent in the region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Loewe, Loewen, and Löw, reflecting regional spelling variations. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the scribe's interpretation of the name.
The town of Löwenberg (now part of Poland) was once home to a prominent family bearing the name Loew. This place name, which translates to "lion's mountain," may have contributed to the development and spread of the surname in the surrounding areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Loew include Johann Carl Gottfried Loew (1701-1785), a German botanist and physician known for his contributions to the study of plants. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Loew (1813-1900), a German-American entomologist who made significant contributions to the field of insect classification.
In the literary world, the name Loew is associated with Johann Michael Loew (1756-1823), a German playwright and poet who wrote several satirical works critiquing societal norms of his time.
During the 19th century, the surname Loew gained recognition in the United States with the arrival of German immigrants. One notable figure was William Marcus Loew (1856-1904), a business magnate and founder of the Loew's Theaters chain, which played a significant role in the early development of the American film industry.
Throughout history, variations of the surname Loew, such as Löwe, Low, and Leu, have been found in various regions of Germany, as well as in parts of Switzerland and Austria, reflecting the widespread distribution of the name across German-speaking areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loew
Among Census respondents with the surname Loew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Loew bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Loew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 1,702
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 67
- Two or more races2.9% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 38
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loew
Loew appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,853
+102 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 350 places
2020
#15,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,880
+27 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,384 | 1,751 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,734 | 1,853 | 0.63 | +102 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 350 places |
| 2020 | #15,069 | 1,880 | 0.63 | +27 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 665 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Loew surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,734 | #15,069 | 4.2% |
| Count | 1,853 | 1,880 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.63 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loew bearers went from 1,853 to 1,880 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 665 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,734 to #15,069.
FAQ
Loew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loew?
Name Census estimates that about 2,156 living Americans carry the surname Loew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,977 residents.
How common is Loew?
Loew ranks #15,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,880 people with the surname Loew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Loew.
Has Loew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loew went from 1,853 recorded bearers to 1,880. That is an increase of 27 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,734 to #15,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Loew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loew, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Loew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (1,702 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Loew (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Loew mean?
A surname meaning "lion" originating from German or Jewish origins. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Loew (0.63 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Loew?
Find out how common the surname Loew is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.