Towndrow last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Towndrow

From the town enclosure or cattle pen.

Towndrow, 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 Towndrow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Towndrow in America

Towndrow is the 98553rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Towndrow surname appeared 184 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 Towndrow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Towndrow 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 98553 83965 15.99%
Count 184 208 -12.24%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.08 -28.57%

The history of the last name Towndrow

The surname TOWNDROW has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "tun" meaning a town or village, and "drow" meaning a path or track. This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, referring to a settlement located along a well-trodden path or road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, where it appears as "Tundrowe." This variation in spelling is not uncommon for surnames of this era, as standardized spellings were not yet established. Over time, the name evolved to its modern form, TOWNDROW.

The TOWNDROW surname is closely linked to several place names in Yorkshire, such as Tundrow and Tondrowe. These place names likely served as the original descriptive surnames for families residing in or near these locations. As people migrated and the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread, these place-based names were adopted as permanent family names.

Historically, the TOWNDROW name appears in various records and manuscripts throughout the centuries. One notable reference is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1315, which mentions a John de Tundrowe. This provides evidence of the surname's use in the 14th century.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the TOWNDROW surname is William Towndrow, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 16th century. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Towndrow, born in 1642 in Bingley, Yorkshire, whose descendants can be traced through parish records.

Prominent figures with the TOWNDROW surname include:

  1. Sir John Towndrow (1742-1821), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
  2. Elizabeth Towndrow (1795-1872), an English author and poet known for her works on religious themes.
  3. William Towndrow (1820-1895), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to education and social welfare in his hometown of Bradford, Yorkshire.
  4. James Towndrow (1857-1923), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral in the early 20th century.
  5. Margaret Towndrow (1912-1997), a British artist and educator known for her landscape paintings and her work as an art teacher in London.

The TOWNDROW surname has a rich history rooted in the villages and towns of Yorkshire, England. Its evolution from a place name to a hereditary surname reflects the changing patterns of name adoption and the enduring influence of geography on family nomenclature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Towndrow

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

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 Towndrow was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.48% 172
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.72% 5
Hispanic Origin 3.26% 6

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.48% 95.19% -1.81%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.72% 0.00% 200.00%
Hispanic 3.26% 2.88% 12.38%

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

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

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