2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ower
An old English surname referring to a riverbank dweller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Ower. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ower 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 Ower with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Ower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ower, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ower
The surname OWER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "owere," meaning "river bank" or "shore." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a river bank or shore.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname OWER can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. The name is closely linked to the place names of these areas, such as Owersby in Lincolnshire and Ower in Hampshire.
In the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with similar names, such as "Ora" and "Oura," which may have been the precursors to the modern surname OWER.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname OWER was John Ower, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another notable figure was Richard Ower, a merchant from London, who was recorded in the city's records in 1485.
During the 16th century, the surname OWER began to appear more frequently in historical records. Thomas Ower, born in 1542 in Lincolnshire, was a prominent clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. His son, Michael Ower (1572-1648), followed in his footsteps and became a respected minister in Norfolk.
In the 17th century, the OWER surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Ower (1616-1668), a renowned English engraver and print publisher from London. His intricate engravings and collaborations with renowned artists of the time, such as Wenceslaus Hollar, earned him a lasting reputation in the art world.
Another notable figure was William Ower (1680-1745), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Hampshire. He is remembered for his philanthropic efforts, including the founding of the Ower Charity School in the village of Ower.
Throughout the centuries, the OWER surname has been associated with various professions and notable individuals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried the name. While the origins of the surname can be traced back to the Old English language and topographic references, it has become a part of the rich tapestry of English surname history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ower
Among Census respondents with the surname Ower, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ower 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 Ower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 100
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ower
Ower 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,269 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 16,269 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 9,168 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 Ower 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 | #137,327 | #146,495 | -6.7% |
| Count | 122 | 114 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ower bearers went from 122 to 114 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 9,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #146,495.
FAQ
Ower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ower?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Ower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Ower?
Ower ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Ower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ower.
Has Ower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ower went from 122 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Ower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ower, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Ower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Ower (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 Ower mean?
An old English surname referring to a riverbank dweller. 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 Ower (0.04 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 are called Ower?
Want to know how many people have the surname Ower? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.