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

Towe, 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 Towe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Towe in America

Towe is the 11051st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Towe surname appeared 2,877 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Towe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Towe 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 Towe

The surname TOWE has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or a dwelling, which later evolved into the modern English word "town." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived in a particular town or settlement.

During the Middle Ages, the TOWE surname was prominent in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Early records indicate that it was often spelled as "Towe," "Touw," or "Touwe," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the TOWE surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Towe is listed as a landowner in Norfolk. This historical document provides valuable insight into the distribution and status of families in medieval England.

Notable individuals bearing the TOWE surname include Sir William Towe, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward III. Another historical figure was John Towe, a merchant and alderman of the City of London in the late 15th century, who played a significant role in the city's governance.

The TOWE surname also had connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Tow in Somerset was once known as "Towe," and it is possible that some individuals took their surname from this location. Similarly, the town of Towcester in Northamptonshire may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the TOWE surname continued to be found throughout England, with individuals such as William Towe, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol in the late 16th century, and Thomas Towe, a landowner and justice of the peace in Gloucestershire in the mid-17th century.

As families migrated and spread across different regions, the TOWE surname underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation, leading to forms such as "Tow," "Toe," and "Tew." Despite these changes, the surname maintained its connection to its medieval English roots and the concept of a dwelling or settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Towe

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

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

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

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