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

Pow, 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 Pow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pow in America

Pow is the 55741st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pow surname appeared 368 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 Pow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pow 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 Pow

The surname "POW" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "paw," meaning "a raised mound or hill." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived on or near a hill or mound.

The earliest known record of the name "POW" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, the name appears as "de Pow," indicating that it was likely a place name or a descriptive surname.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was recorded in various forms, such as "Powe," "Pouwe," and "Poue," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. One notable individual with this surname was John Pow, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the name "POW" began to appear more frequently in historical records. One notable individual from this era was William Pow, a landowner and magistrate from Oxfordshire, England, who lived from 1520 to 1592.

During the 17th century, the surname "POW" was also found in Scotland. One notable individual from this period was Robert Pow, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived from 1638 to 1707 and was known for his involvement in the Covenanter movement.

In the 18th century, the name "POW" was relatively widespread in various parts of England and Scotland. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Pow, an English writer and poet who lived from 1767 to 1839 and is known for his work "The Course of Time."

In the 19th century, the surname "POW" continued to be found in various parts of the United Kingdom. One notable individual from this period was John Pow, a Scottish architect who lived from 1817 to 1892 and was known for his work on several churches and public buildings in Scotland.

Throughout its history, the surname "POW" has been associated with various place names and localities, such as Powhill, Powside, and Powdene, which further reinforces the notion that the name may have originated from a descriptive or locational source.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pow

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

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

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

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