Contents [hide]

Dow History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Dow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Early Origins of the Dow family

The surname Dow was first found in Berwickshire where the name is likely from the Gaelic, Dhu (dubh), Anglicized as "black" or from "don or doo," the Scottish for dove or pigeon. 1

Another source postulates the name could have been a variant of Dove or Dawe.

The first on record of the family was Ede Douw who held land in 'vico boreali,' Edinburgh, 1366. Four years later, John Dowe was a witness at an inquest taken at Berwick-on-Tweed, 1370. "Dow is not uncommon in Perthshire appearing there in 1497, when Robert Dow held a land in Perth." 2

Further to the south, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Agnes Dowe; Hgo Dowe; Alicia Dowe; and Adam Dowe-man, the servant of Dow. 3

Turning back the clock further, we found Robertus filius Duue, Doue listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166 and Ralph, William Duue were listed in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1197. 4

Early History of the Dow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dow research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1370, 1500, 1510, 1516, 1527, 1555, 1561, 1574, 1580, 1616, 1618, 1630, 1640, 1645, 1658, 1665 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Dow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dow Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: McDow, Dow, Dowe, Dove, Dows, Dowes, Doves and others.

Early Notables of the Dow family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Henry Dove, (1640-1695), Archdeacon of Richmond, son of a clergyman, born in 1640, and elected from Westminster to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1658. He was also a politician, Mayor of Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1616.John Dove (1561-1618), was 'a Surrey man, born of plebeian parents,' and scholar of St. Peter's College, Westminster, whence...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dow Ranking

In the United States, the name Dow is the 1,745^th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Dow family to Ireland

Some of the Dow family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dow migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dow Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Dow, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1635
Henry Dow, who arrived in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1638 6
Matthew Dow who settled in Salem in the year 1640
Francis Dow, settled in Salem in the year 1640
Thomas Dow, who arrived in Salisbury, Massachusetts in 1642 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dow Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Dow, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
James Dow, aged 36, who landed in New York in 1812 6
Aug Dow, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 6
Robert Dow, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1820 6
Patrick Dow, aged 32, who landed in Missouri in 1840 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dow migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dow Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Dow, English convict from Suffolk, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on July 3, 1822, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
David Dow, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 8
Margaret Dow, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 8
James Dow, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1838 8
David Dow, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Rajasthan" in 1840 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dow migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dow Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Dow, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 10
Mrs. Hannah Dow, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 10
Mr. James Dow, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 10
Miss Janet Dow, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 10
Mr. John Dow, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th September 1853 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dow migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Dow Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

John Dow, who landed in Jamaica in 1728-1729 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Dow (post 1700) +

Herbert Henry Dow (1886-1930), Canadian-born, American chemist, founder of Dow Chemical Company in 1897
Tony Lee Dow (1945-2022), American film producer, director, sculptor, and a television child actor best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver
Nancy Maryanne Dow (1936-2016), American actress, model and mother of Jennifer Aniston
Ellen Rose Albertini Dow (1913-2015), American character actress, recently known for her roles in Wedding Crashers (2005), The Wedding Singer (1998) and Road Trip (2000)
Alden B. Dow (1904-1983), American architect, son of Herbert Henry Dow
Neal S. Dow (1804-1897), American prohibitionist
Charles Henry Dow (1851-1902), American journalist, co-founder of Dow Jones & Co
David Dow, American politician, Mayor of Waco, Texas, 1980-81 13
Chester W. Dow, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1944 13
Charles M. Dow, American politician, Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 51st District, 1915 13
... (Another 49 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Dow Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Patiens
Motto Translation: Patient.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 155 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1822
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Rajasthan.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) RAJASTHAN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Rajasthan.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html