2000
#4,832
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,665
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Rare Last name
Lowell
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,169 Americans carry the last name Lowell. That puts it at #5,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,811 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lowell 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 Lowell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,811
Census rank
#5,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,252 bearers of the surname Lowell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lowell
The surname Lowell has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "hlo" or "hlaw," meaning a small hill or mound, and "heal," meaning a nook or remote place. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "de Louuehull" in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to a place in Worcestershire.
In the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms such as "Louwelle," "Louwell," and "Louwelle." These variations suggest that the name was initially associated with a specific place or settlement, possibly a small hill or elevated area. Over time, it evolved into the more recognizable form of "Lowell."
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Ralph de Lowell, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent landowner in Lancashire. Another notable figure was John Lowell, born in 1589, who was an English jurist and served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the 17th century.
In the United States, the Lowell family made a significant impact, with several prominent individuals bearing the surname. John Lowell (1743-1802) was a prominent lawyer and a delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention in 1779. His son, John Lowell Jr. (1769-1840), was a distinguished jurist and served as a judge on the Massachusetts Supreme Court.
Another notable figure was James Russell Lowell (1819-1891), an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He was a leading figure in the New England literary renaissance and served as the United States Minister to Spain and the United Kingdom.
The Lowell family also played a significant role in the textile industry, with Francis Cabot Lowell (1775-1817) being credited with establishing the first successful textile mill in the United States, known as the Boston Manufacturing Company. This mill was located in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, which was named after him.
Throughout history, the surname Lowell has been associated with various places, including Lowell, Massachusetts, Lowell, Indiana, and Lowell, Michigan, all of which were named after members of the Lowell family or inspired by their contributions to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lowell
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lowell 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 Lowell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 5,593
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 264
- Two or more races3.4% · 215
- Black or African American1.3% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lowell
Lowell 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
#5,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,569
-96 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 470 places
2020
#5,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,252
-317 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,832 | 6,665 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,302 | 6,569 | 2.23 | -96 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 470 places |
| 2020 | #5,385 | 6,252 | 2.09 | -317 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 83 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 Lowell 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 | #5,302 | #5,385 | -1.6% |
| Count | 6,569 | 6,252 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.09 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lowell bearers went from 6,569 to 6,252 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,302 to #5,385.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lowell
FAQ
Lowell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lowell?
Name Census estimates that about 7,169 living Americans carry the surname Lowell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,811 residents.
How common is Lowell?
Lowell ranks #5,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,252 people with the surname Lowell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lowell.
Has Lowell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lowell went from 6,569 recorded bearers to 6,252. That is a decrease of 317 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,302 to #5,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Lowell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Lowell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (5,593 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lowell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Lowell (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 Lowell mean?
A topographic 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 Lowell (2.09 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 Lowell?
You can see how many people are called Lowell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.