2000
#5,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,500
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.04
Rare Last name
Lowrey
English surname derived from a place name meaning "laurel tree" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,113 Americans carry the last name Lowrey. That puts it at #6,159 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,070 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lowrey 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 Lowrey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,070
Census rank
#6,159
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,331 bearers of the surname Lowrey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6159th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lowrey
The surname Lowrey has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hlow" meaning "hill" or "mound," and "rig" meaning "ridge." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived on or near a hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "Laurence de Lourig." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and pronunciation.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Lowryg," "Louring," and "Lourynge," in records from counties like Yorkshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire. This indicates that the name was well-established in different regions of England.
The Lowrey name has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One prominent example is Joseph Lowrey (1585-1644), an English composer and organist who served as the organist of Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. His contributions to sacred music and church anthems were significant during the 17th century.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Lowrey (1623-1699), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1681. He played a role in the political climate of the time, particularly during the Restoration period under King Charles II.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through individuals like Robert Lowry (1716-1777), a Scottish poet and writer who authored works such as "A New Geographical Grammar" and "A Short Introduction to the Study of Geography." His works contributed to the dissemination of geographical knowledge during the Enlightenment era.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Robert Lowry (1826-1899), an American Baptist minister and composer who wrote numerous hymns, including the famous "Shall We Gather at the River." His contributions to religious music and hymnody left a lasting impact on the Christian tradition.
Throughout its history, the Lowrey surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Lowry Hill in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Lowry City in Missouri, further cementing its connection to geographical features.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lowrey
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lowrey 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 Lowrey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 4,568
- Two or more races4.6% · 247
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 231
- Black or African American3.1% · 164
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lowrey
Lowrey 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
#6,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,607
+107 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Down 351 places
2020
#6,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,331
-276 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,766 | 5,500 | 2.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,117 | 5,607 | 1.90 | +107 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 351 places |
| 2020 | #6,159 | 5,331 | 1.78 | -276 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 42 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 Lowrey 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 | #6,117 | #6,159 | -0.7% |
| Count | 5,607 | 5,331 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 1.78 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lowrey bearers went from 5,607 to 5,331 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,117 to #6,159.
FAQ
Lowrey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lowrey?
Name Census estimates that about 6,113 living Americans carry the surname Lowrey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,070 residents.
How common is Lowrey?
Lowrey ranks #6,159 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 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 5,331 people with the surname Lowrey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 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 Lowrey.
Has Lowrey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lowrey went from 5,607 recorded bearers to 5,331. That is a decrease of 276 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,117 to #6,159.
What does the Census say about the background of Lowrey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Lowrey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (4,568 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lowrey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Lowrey (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 Lowrey mean?
English surname derived from a place name meaning "laurel tree" in Old English. 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 Lowrey (1.78 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 Lowrey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.