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

Lowey, 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 Lowey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lowey in America

Lowey is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lowey surname appeared 310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lowey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lowey 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 Lowey

The surname Lowey is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Norfolk. It dates back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old English words "hlaw" and "hlaew," which mean "hill" or "mound." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or raised land.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Lowey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like document compiled in 1273. This document mentions a certain "Robertus de Lowy," indicating that the name was already in use during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Lowy," "Lowy," and "Lowey," as evidenced by records from the Norfolk area. These variations likely reflect the evolution of the name's spelling over time, as well as regional dialects and scribal variations.

One notable historical figure bearing the Lowey surname was Sir Henry Lowey, a prominent English landowner and military commander who lived during the 15th century. He was known for his service in the Wars of the Roses and his involvement in the Battle of Towton in 1461.

Another individual of note was Richard Lowey, born in 1592 in Norfolk, who was a renowned scholar and author. He wrote several treatises on theology and philosophy, and his works were widely circulated in academic circles during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Lowey surname gained prominence with the birth of William Lowey (1720-1798), a successful merchant and philanthropist from London. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and was known for his generous contributions to various causes.

The 19th century saw the rise of Elizabeth Lowey (1837-1912), an influential writer and advocate for women's rights. Her published works and speeches played a significant role in the early feminist movement in England.

Lastly, John Lowey (1865-1932) was a renowned explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the British colonies. His expeditions to remote regions of Africa and Asia led to the discovery of several new plant and animal species.

While the Lowey surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the English county of Norfolk, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname denoting a connection to a prominent hill or mound.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lowey

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!