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Low World Ranking

In the United States, the name Low is the 3,338th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Low is ranked the 589th most popular surname with an estimated 6,611 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Low is the 374th popular surname with an estimated 1,714 people with that name. 3


United States Low migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Low Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Pieter Comelissen Low, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 4
  • William Low, who landed in Virginia in 1635 4
  • Peter Low, who landed in Virginia in 1637 4
  • Robert Low, who landed in Virginia in 1638 4
  • Andrew Low, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1637 aboard the ship "Hector", bound for New Haven, Connecticut in 1639 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Low Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sarah Low, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 4
  • Micajah Low, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 4
  • Mathew Low, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1719 4
  • Cconrad Low, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
  • Conrad Low, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Low Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Low, who landed in New York, NY in 1804 4
  • Philip Low, who landed in America in 1804 4
  • John Low, who arrived in America in 1808 4
  • Betsey Low, who landed in Massachusetts in 1813 4
  • Wesly Low, aged 10, who arrived in America in 1822 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Low migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Low Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Josef Low, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1751
  • Joseph Low, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1751
  • Michel Low, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1751
  • Mr. John Low U.E. who settled in Sophiasburgh and Ameliasburgh [Prince Edward County], Ontario c. 1784 5
  • Mr. John Low U.E. (b. 1752) born in Banffshire, Scotland who settled in Saint Andrews, New Brunswick c. 1784, then Mascarene, New Brunswick in 1790 he was married twice having 13 children he died in 1844 5
Low Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Low, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Australia Low migration to Australia +

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

Low Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Low, English convict who was convicted in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Isobel Low "Alias Will", Scottish convict from Perth, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
  • Jean Low "alias Doig", Scottish convict from Edinburgh, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Low, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 8
  • Miss Elizabeth Low, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 22nd January 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Low 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:

  • William Low, aged 30, a shepherd, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe Dunbar" between 1841 and 1850
Low Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Low, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
  • Miss Susan Low, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Simlah" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1851 10
  • Mrs. Jane Low, (b. 1832), aged 27, Scottish settler, from Forfarshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 10
  • Mr. John Low, (b. 1833), aged 26, Scottish farm labourer, from Forfarshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 10
  • Miss Elizabeth Low, (b. 1856), aged 3, Scottish settler, from Forfarshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Low 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. 11
Low Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John Low, who settled in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Low (post 1700) +

  • Juliette Gordon Low (1860-1927), American founder of Girl Scouts of the USA with the help of Sir Robert Baden-Powell, posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Charles Lewis Low (1928-2017), American actor, known for his roles in Once Upon a Time in America, Goodfellas, Sleepers
  • William M. Low, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Norwalk; Elected 1906 12
  • Susan E. Low, American politician, Mayor of McHenry, Illinois, 2007 12
  • William Low, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1932 12
  • Stephen Low (1927-2010), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia, 1976-79; Nigeria, 1979-81 12
  • Seth Low (1850-1916), American Republican politician, Mayor of Brooklyn, New York, 1882-85; President, Columbia University, 1890-1900; Mayor of New York City, New York, 1902-03; Defeated, 1897, 1903 12
  • Robert M. Low, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for New York State Assembly from Kings County 10th District, 1920, 1921 12
  • Sam D. W. Low, American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1951; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1956 12
  • Robert A. Low, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1964 12
  • ... (Another 51 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  4. 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)
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  12. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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