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

Lower, 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 Lower surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lower in America

Lower is the 7183rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lower surname appeared 4,653 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lower.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lower 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 Lower

The surname LOWER is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "louwer", which means "one who lives lower down on a hill or stream". It dates back to the early medieval period in England.

The name was initially found in various counties across southern and central England, particularly in areas with undulating landscapes or settlements near rivers and streams. Similar spellings include Louwer, Lowere, and Loure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LOWER appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a landowner named Ælfric Louwere in Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the surname LOWER can be found in various legal and manorial records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Feet of Fines. One notable example is Robert le Lower, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name LOWER was often associated with place names that included the word "lower", such as Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire and Lower Winchendon in Buckinghamshire. This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have derived their name from the location where they lived or held land.

Notable individuals with the surname LOWER throughout history include:

1. Sir Sampson Lower (1570-1630), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Arundel.
2. Mark Antony Lower (1813-1876), an English antiquary and genealogist, best known for his work on English surnames.
3. Richard Lower (1631-1691), an English physician and anatomist, who was one of the pioneers of blood transfusion.
4. Michael Lower (1616-1670), an English writer and poet, known for his translations of Greek and Latin works.
5. William Lower (1570-1615), an English clergyman and academic, who served as the Rector of Ufford in Northamptonshire.

The surname LOWER continues to be found in various parts of the English-speaking world, particularly in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals with this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lower

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

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

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

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