Dowe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Dowe family
The surname Dowe 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 Dowe family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowe 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 Dowe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dowe Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: McDow, Dow, Dowe, Dove, Dows, Dowes, Doves and others.
Early Notables of the Dowe 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 Dowe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dowe Ranking
In the United States, the name Dowe is the 16,562nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5
Migration of the Dowe family to Ireland
Some of the Dowe 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.
Dowe migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Dowe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Henrey Dowe, aged 29, who landed in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dororthy" 6
- Mrs. Joane Dowe, aged 30, who landed in New England in 1637 aboard the ship "John & Dorothy", with children 7
Dowe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Thomas Dowe, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 6
- Fried Dowe, aged 18, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 6
- Najil Dowe, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 6
- Alexander Dowe, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 6
- William Dowe, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1856 6
Dowe 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:
Dowe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. John Dowe, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 8
- Mr. James Dowe, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 8
- Mr. Peter Dowe, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 8
- Mr. Alexander Dowe, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Dowe (post 1700) +
- Julian Dowe (b. 1975), English retired professional footballer
- Uton George Dowe (b. 1949), Jamaican cricketer who has played four Tests for the West Indies
- Jens Dowe (b. 1968), German football coach and a former player
- Dowe Jefferson Lance (1916-2002), American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, 1961-62
Historic Events for the Dowe family +
- Mr. Herbert Dowe (1905-1937), German Radio Officer from Arnswalde, Germany, who worked on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire 9
The Dowe 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)
- Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/