Show ContentsLoewen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origin of the proud surname Loewen can be traced to the historic kingdom of Bohemia, which is now part of Czechoslovakia. German surnames developed at a time when most of Bohemia, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. At first people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. The distinguished surname Loewen is derived from the Middle High German "lewe," meaning "lion."

Early Origins of the Loewen family

The surname Loewen was first found in Bohemia, where the Loewen family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the family became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation. One of the earliest recorded Bohemian bearers of the name was Hensel Lebel, who lived in Budweis in 1387.

Early History of the Loewen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loewen research. Another 312 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1225, 1265, 1300, 1460, 1465, 1507, 1522, 1628, 1703, 1706, 1733, 1796, 1799 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Loewen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loewen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Loewe, Loewen, Lowen, Lowe, Low, Lower, Löwe, Löw, Leu, Leue, Lau, Laue, Löbe, Lobe, Leb, Lebe and many more.

Early Notables of the Loewen family

During this early period, notable bearers of the name Loewen included Leon Loewe von Rozmital (around 1465), whose famous descriptions of the Holy Land through which he traveled were translated into many languages, his daughter became the Queen of Bohemia; Hans Leu, The Elder...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Loewen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loewen Ranking

In the United States, the name Loewen is the 12,012nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Loewen is ranked the 646th most popular surname with an estimated 8,030 people with that name. 2


United States Loewen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loewen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H J Loewen, aged 58, who arrived in New York, NY in 1874 3
  • Hrch Loewen, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1874 3
  • Agatha Loewen, aged 21, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876 3
  • John Loewen, aged 12, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876 3
  • Maria Loewen, aged 16, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Loewen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Loewen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • David Loewen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1876
  • Heinrich Loewen, who landed in Manitoba in 1876
  • Herman Loewen, who landed in Manitoba in 1877
  • Isaac Loewen, who landed in Manitoba in 1877

Contemporary Notables of the name Loewen (post 1700) +

  • James William Loewen (1942-2021), American sociologist, historian, and author, best known for his 1995 book, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
  • John Loewen (b. 1949), Canadian businessman and politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1999 to 2005
  • Cynthia Loewen (b. 1993), Canadian beauty pageant titleholder, Miss Earth Canada (2014)
  • Douglas Todd Loewen (b. 1966), Canadian politician, MLA for Grande Prairie-Smoky, Alberta (2015-)
  • William H "Bill" Loewen OC, Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist
  • Rochelle Loewen (b. 1979), Canadian broadcaster, former model and professional wrestler
  • Adam Alexander Loewen (b. 1984), Canadian Major League Baseball pitcher who has played since 2006
  • General Sir Charles Falkland Loewen GCB KBE DSO (1900-1986), Canadian soldier from Vancouver, Adjutant-General to the Forces in the United Kingdom
  • Darcy Loewen (b. 1969), retired Canadian professional ice hockey left wing player
  • Jocelyne Loewen, Canadian voice actress


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. 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)


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