Show ContentsClower History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Clower is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Cheshire in an area that was described by the Old English word as cloh, which means that the bearers of this surname lived near a ravine or hollow. It also could be described as the place that was set back from the town or village.

Early Origins of the Clower family

The surname Clower was first found in Yorkshire where the first record of the family was Willelmus de Clowe who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Clower family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clower research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1543, 1582, 1595, 1604, 1605, 1616, 1645, 1648, 1649 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Clower History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clower Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Clower are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Clower include: Clowes, Clowe, Clows and others.

Early Notables of the Clower family

Distinguished members of the family include William Clowes the Elder (c.1543-1604), an early English surgeon and author. He was the "son of Thomas and grandson of Nicholas Clowes, both of Kingsbury in Warwickshire, and great-grandson of Geffrey Clowes of Tutbury in Staffordshire, all of them gentlemen bearing tokens and arms of honour, helm, mantle, and...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Clower Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clower Ranking

In the United States, the name Clower is the 8,755th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


Clower migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Clower or a variant listed above:

Clower Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ellen Clower, aged 41, who immigrated to the United States from Derby, in 1903
  • William Clower, aged 40, who landed in America from Derby, in 1903
  • Florence Clower, aged 27, who settled in America, in 1907
  • Frederick V. Clower, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
  • Virginia B.A. Clower, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1910
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Clower migration to Australia +

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

Clower Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Clower (post 1700) +

  • Robert Wayne Clower (1926-2011), American economist who created the field of stock-flow analysis in economics, eponym of Clower constraint
  • Howard Gerald "Jerry" Clower (1926-1998), American stand-up comedian, his stories of the rural South gave him the nickname "The Mouth of Mississippi"


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell


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