Mowry
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "mulberry tree" in Old English.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,553 Americans carry the last name Mowry. That puts it at #6,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mowry surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,724
Census rank
#6,989
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,793 bearers of the surname Mowry in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mowry, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mowry
The surname Mowry originated in England, likely in the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly Mowry or Mowery, indicating that the earliest bearers of the name hailed from a town or village with that name.
One possible source of the name is the Old English word "mær," meaning "boundary" or "border," combined with the word "ēg," meaning "island" or "piece of land surrounded by water or marsh." This suggests that the name may have referred to a settlement situated on a boundary or near a waterlogged area.
While the name does not appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are records of individuals with similar spellings, such as Mowery and Mowry, in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Mowry was John Mowry, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early bearer of the name was William Mowry, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1380.
Over the centuries, the Mowry surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Richard Mowry (c. 1600-1671), an early settler in Rhode Island who was born in England and arrived in the American colonies in the 1630s. He played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Providence.
Another prominent individual with the Mowry surname was Sylvester Mowry (1830-1871), an American soldier and educator who fought in the American Civil War and later served as the president of Butler University in Indiana.
In the literary world, Jephtha Mowry (1795-1879) was an American poet and author who wrote several works, including "The Panorama of Life" and "Reflections on Nature and Nature's Laws."
Marjorie Mowry (1888-1970) was an American artist known for her landscape paintings and etchings, many of which depicted scenes from New England and the American West.
Lastly, Joseph Mowry (1849-1924) was an American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 1907 to 1909.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Mowry surname throughout history, with roots that can be traced back to medieval England and the original place name from which the surname derived.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mowry
Among Census respondents with the surname Mowry, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mowry bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Mowry surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.8%
- Hispanic or Latino1.7%
- Two or more races1.2%
- Black or African American0.5%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Mowry surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,467 | #6,989 | -8.1% |
| Count | 4,842 | 4,793 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.62 | -9.5% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Mowry bearers went from 4,842 to 4,793 (-1.0% change). The surname moved down 522 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,467 to #6,989.
FAQ
Mowry surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Mowry?
The surname Mowry holds position #6,989 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 5,553 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Mowry surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mowry, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.