2000
#309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 89,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 33.06
Common Last name
Lowe
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 102,857 Americans carry the last name Lowe. That puts it at #341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 30.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lowe 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 Lowe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
103K
1 in 3,332
Census rank
#341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
30.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
90K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 89,696 bearers of the surname Lowe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 30.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lowe
The surname Lowe originated in England, with its earliest recorded roots dating back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "hlaw," which means a small hill or mound. It was initially used as a topographic name, referring to people who lived near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Lowe." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England.
During the Middle Ages, the Lowe family was well-established in various regions of England, particularly in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. The name was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Lowe," "Low," or "Lough," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Lowe was Sir Robert Lowe (1611-1679), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Another prominent individual was John Lowe (1629-1685), an English Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of his time.
As the name spread across England, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the village of Lowe Hill in Staffordshire likely derived its name from the Lowe family who once resided there.
In the 18th century, the Lowe family produced several influential figures, including Hudson Lowe (1769-1844), a British Army officer best known for his role as the governor of St. Helena during the imprisonment of Napoleon Bonaparte. Additionally, Robert Lowe (1811-1892), a British statesman and writer, served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary in the 19th century.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Lowe Hudson Lowe (1794-1876), a British naval officer and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration of the Arctic regions.
Throughout its history, the surname Lowe has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, authors, politicians, and military figures, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lowe
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lowe 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 Lowe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.0% · 62,769
- Black or African American19.0% · 17,079
- Two or more races4.7% · 4,178
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 3,265
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 1,591
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 814
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lowe
Lowe 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
#334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 92,260
+3,082 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 31.28
Rank movement Down 25 places
2020
#341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 89,696
-2,564 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 30.01
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #309 | 89,178 | 33.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #334 | 92,260 | 31.28 | +3,082 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 25 places |
| 2020 | #341 | 89,696 | 30.01 | -2,564 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 7 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 Lowe 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 | #334 | #341 | -2.1% |
| Count | 92,260 | 89,696 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 31.28 | 30.01 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lowe bearers went from 92,260 to 89,696 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #334 to #341.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lowe
FAQ
Lowe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lowe?
Name Census estimates that about 102,857 living Americans carry the surname Lowe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,332 residents.
How common is Lowe?
Lowe ranks #341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 30.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 30 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 89,696 people with the surname Lowe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (102,857), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 30.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 30.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 30 of them to have the surname Lowe.
Has Lowe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lowe went from 92,260 recorded bearers to 89,696. That is a decrease of 2,564 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #334 to #341.
What does the Census say about the background of Lowe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Lowe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.0% (62,769 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lowe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.0%), Black (19.0%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Lowe (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 Lowe mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on 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 Lowe (30.01 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 Lowe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Lowe at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.