Nowers last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Nowers

A topographic surname alluding to someone living near a clearing or field.

Nowers, 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 Nowers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nowers in America

Nowers is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nowers surname appeared 219 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 Nowers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nowers 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank8535791404-6.84%
Count21918715.76%
Proportion per 100k0.070.070.00%

The history of the last name Nowers

The surname NOWERS is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "nowers," which referred to a person who lived near a nook or corner of land. The name may also be related to the Old French word "nouer," meaning "to knot" or "to tie."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the NOWERS surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The name is listed as "Nouers" in this historical record, suggesting that the spelling has evolved over time.

During the 13th century, the NOWERS surname appeared in various manorial records and tax rolls in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. These records often referred to individuals with the name as residing in or near places with names like "Nowers End" or "Nowers Green," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and geographical locations.

One notable individual with the NOWERS surname was Thomas Nowers (c. 1520-1578), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1577. Another was Sir William Nowers (1545-1611), a successful lawyer and member of parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the NOWERS surname gained prominence in the American colonies, with individuals like John Nowers (1625-1688), who was among the early settlers in Massachusetts Bay Colony. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England.

Another significant figure was Edward Nowers (1668-1744), a wealthy landowner and influential member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. His family played an active role in the colonial government and the development of the Virginia colony.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the NOWERS surname continued to spread across various regions of England and the United States. Notable individuals included Reverend John Nowers (1780-1855), a respected clergyman in the Church of England, and Elizabeth Nowers (1815-1892), an English author and poet who published several works in her lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nowers

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

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 Nowers was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only97.26%213
Non-Hispanic Black Only2.28%5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races0.00%0
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Nowers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White97.26%99.00%-1.77%
Black2.28%0.00%200.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%0.00%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races0.00%0.00%0.00%
Hispanic(S)%0.00%(S)%

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

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

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