Place

Lowe surname meaning

An English and Scottish surname, often a topographic name from Old English hlāw, “hill” or “burial mound”; other German and Jewish routes occur.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 341 · 89,696 people
Common variants: Low, Lowe, Loe, Löwe

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Lowe is often the English or Scottish spelling of Low, a topographic surname from Old English hlāw, “hill” or “burial mound.” It could identify someone who lived near such a feature. The spelling also crosses language boundaries: German Löwe means “lion” and can be a nickname, while Ashkenazi Jewish Lowe may reflect an artificial lion name or a Germanized Levy. Low, Lowe, and Loe are therefore not a simple family tree. Place is the lead catalog type for the English route, but disputed confidence is necessary because several unrelated origins share the modern spelling.

Also seen as: Low, Lowe, Loe, Löwe

Sources used

FamilySearch surname entry 'Lowe' (topographic and regional origins)
Wikipedia 'Lowe (surname)' (English, German, and Jewish routes)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)