Dillow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Dillow has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the baptismal name meaning the son of Dilk. The surname was originally of Dutch origin and was brought into England during the Norman Conquest of 1066. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Dillow family

The surname Dillow was first found in Warwickshire. "Maxstoke Castle is the property of Capt. Thomas Dilke, R.N., a descendant of Sir Thomas Dilke, who purchased it in the 41st of Elizabeth from Sir Thomas Egerton, keeper of the great seal: the buildings occupy an irregular quadrilateral area, inclosed by an embattled wall, and defended at the angles by octagonal towers, and are in a fine state of preservation." 1

Other early records of the family include: Geoffrey Dylle who was in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III), 2 and the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Alan Dille in Cambridgeshire and Robert Dille in Buckinghamshire. 3

Further to the north in Scotland, "Thomas dictus Dyll witnessed a charter by John Skinner, burgess of Inverness, c. 1360 and Marjorie dicta Dyll held land in Inuernys, 1361." 4

Early History of the Dillow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dillow research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1624, 1633, 1635, 1667, 1692 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Dillow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dillow Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dillow include Dilke, Dilkes, Dilks, Dilley, Dill, Dillow and others.

Early Notables of the Dillow family

Distinguished members of the family include Roger Delk (Dilke, Delke, or Dilk) (died before 1635) English-born, representative for Stanley's Hundred in the House of Burgesses. He traveled from England to Virginia aboard the ship "Southampton" in 1624. He was indentured to John Chew and employed in 1624 on his plantation on Hog Island. He rose to represent the Stanley Hundred...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dillow Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dillow Ranking

In the United States, the name Dillow is the 7,914^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Dillow migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Dillow Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Fanny E. Dillow, aged 34, who landed in America from Kettering, England, in 1905
George E. Dillow, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Kettering, England, in 1905
Joseph E. Dillow, aged 33, who settled in America from Kettering, England, in 1905
Mildred Dillow, aged 1, who landed in America from Kettering, England, in 1905
Wm. Roy Dillow, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dillow migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dillow Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Thomas Dillow, aged 33, who immigrated to Toronto, Ont., Canada, in 1912
Annie Dillow, aged 42, who settled in London, Canada in 1919
James Dillow, aged 7, who immigrated to London, Canada in 1919
Thomas Dillow, aged 40, who settled in London, Canada in 1919

Contemporary Notables of the name Dillow (post 1700) +

Jonathan J.A. Dillow, American Supervisory Hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey
Linda Dillow, American author of A Mother's Journey, Calm My Anxious Heart and the best-selling Creative Counterpart
J. Livingstone Dillow, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1944, 1960 6
Nancy Dillow (1928-2021), born Nancy Elizabeth Robertson in Toronto, Ontario, a Canadian museum director, curator and writer

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html