Lowther History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The name Lowther came to England with the ancestors of the Lowther family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Lowther family lived in Lowther, now in the civil parish in Eden District, Cumbria. Historically in Westmorland, Lowther was first recorded as Lauder c. 1175 and it thought to have been named from the River Lowther. 1 "It formerly contained a village of the same name, which was demolished in 1682, by Sir John Lowther, who soon afterwards built another, called New-town, where carpet and linen manufactories were established." 2 "Lowther Castle, the residence of the family of that name, stands majestically in a park of 600 acres, and combines the grand effect of a fortification with the splendour of a palace; the fabric is modern, having been commenced in 1802, upon the site of the ancient Hall, which was nearly destroyed by fire in 1720. " 2

Early Origins of the Lowther family

The surname Lowther was first found in Westmorland, an area in the North East of England (now part of Cumbria,) where the family is "eminently a knightly family, traced by Brydges to Sir Gervase de Lowther, living in the reign of Henry III. Other authorities make Sir Hugh de Lowther, knight for this county, in the 28th of Edward I., as the first recorded ancestor; his great-grandson was at Agincourt in 1415." 3

Lowther is a parish in Westmorland. "It formerly contained a village of the same name, which was demolished in 1682, by Sir John Lowther, who soon afterwards built another, called New-town." 2

Early History of the Lowther family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowther research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1215, 1583, 1588, 1589, 1593, 1605, 1626, 1628, 1640, 1641, 1655, 1659, 1660, 1668, 1675, 1692, 1693, 1696, 1700, 1713, 1723 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Lowther History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowther Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Lowther, Louder, Lowder, Louther and others.

Early Notables of the Lowther family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Lowther Ranking

In the United States, the name Lowther is the 7,595th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Lowther family to Ireland

Some of the Lowther family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lowther migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lowther or a variant listed above:

Lowther Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Lowther Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Lowther Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lowther migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lowther Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Lowther Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Lowther migration to Australia +

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

Lowther Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Lowther 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:

Lowther Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Lowther 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. 14
Lowther Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Lowther (post 1700) +


The Lowther 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: Magistratus indicat virum
Motto Translation: The magistracy shows the man.
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