2000
#2,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,475
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.25
Uncommon Last name
Low
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,912 Americans carry the last name Low. That puts it at #2,892 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,637 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Low 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Low with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,637
Census rank
#2,892
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,132 bearers of the surname Low in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2892nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Low, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Low
The surname LOW originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'loch', meaning 'lake' or 'inlet'. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a lake or body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists Thomas Low as a landowner in Berwickshire, Scotland. The surname also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1365, mentioning a John Low from Ayrshire.
During the Middle Ages, the Low surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, which may have contributed to its origins. Some variations of the spelling included Lowe, Lowis, and Lowrie.
In the 16th century, the Low surname became more widespread across Scotland and England. Notable bearers of the name include Reverend Robert Low (1572-1616), a Scottish minister and author of the book "The Whole Course of Scripture".
As the name spread, it was sometimes associated with place names such as Lowton in Lancashire, England, derived from the Old English words 'hlaw' and 'tun', meaning a 'hill settlement'.
Other notable individuals with the Low surname include:
1. Sir John Low (1788-1873), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
2. David Low (1891-1963), a New Zealand-born political cartoonist known for his satirical work in British publications like the Evening Standard.
3. Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927), the founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.
4. Malcolm Low (1926-2015), a British engineer and inventor who developed the first compact disc (CD) player.
5. Mary Stuart Low (1857-1946), an American philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for women's rights and education.
The Low surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in Scotland and associations with various place names and notable individuals throughout the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Low
Among Census respondents with the surname Low, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Low 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 Low surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.7% · 7,004
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.9% · 3,627
- Two or more races5.7% · 689
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 515
- Black or African American2.1% · 253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Low
Low 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
#2,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,032
+557 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#2,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,132
+100 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 4.06
Rank movement Up 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,873 | 11,475 | 4.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,979 | 12,032 | 4.08 | +557 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #2,892 | 12,132 | 4.06 | +100 bearers (+0.8%) | Up 87 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 Low 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 | #2,979 | #2,892 | 2.9% |
| Count | 12,032 | 12,132 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.08 | 4.06 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Low bearers went from 12,032 to 12,132 (+0.8% change). The surname moved up 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,979 to #2,892.
FAQ
Low surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Low?
Name Census estimates that about 13,912 living Americans carry the surname Low. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,637 residents.
How common is Low?
Low ranks #2,892 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,132 people with the surname Low. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Low.
Has Low become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Low went from 12,032 recorded bearers to 12,132. That is an increase of 100 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,979 to #2,892.
What does the Census say about the background of Low?
Among Census respondents with the surname Low, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Low in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.7% (7,004 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Low appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Low (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 Low mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill or mound. 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 Low (4.06 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 surname Low?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.