Show ContentsLowe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Lowe Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Lowe

What does the name Lowe mean?

The origin of the proud surname Lowe 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 Lowe is derived from the Middle High German "lewe," meaning "lion."

Early Origins of the Lowe family

The surname Lowe was first found in Bohemia, where the Lowe 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 Lowe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowe 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 Lowe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowe 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 Lowe family

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 (1460-1507), a Swiss painter, native to Zurich; Johann Loewe (1628-1703), a...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lowe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowe World Ranking

the United Kingdom, the name Lowe is the 163rd most popular surname with an estimated 33,214 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Lowe is ranked the 186th most popular surname with an estimated 17,151 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Lowe is the 230th popular surname with an estimated 2,543 people with that name. 3 Canada ranks Lowe as 462nd with 10,373 people. 4 The United States ranks Lowe as 273rd with 96,993 people. 5

Lowe migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Hugh Lowe, (Cartwright), (d. 1790), British settler convicted in Cheshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Guardian" leaving in 1789 she struck an iceberg in 1789 and was turned back to Cape Town, Africafinally arriving in New South Wales in 1790, may have transferred to the Surpize 6
  • Mr. Robert Lowe, (b, 1747), aged 42, British settler convicted in Derbyshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
  • Mr. John Lowe, British settler convicted in Nottinghamshire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Joseph Lowe, (1770 - 1853), aged 20, British settler convicted in Warwickshire, England in 1788, sentenced to Life for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Lowe Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. James Lowe, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Lowe, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Lowe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Lowe 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:

Lowe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • A G Lowe, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship "Bolton"
  • Griffiths Lowe, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Richard Godfrey Lowe, aged 29, a doctor, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
  • Griffith Lowe, aged 36, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
  • Ann Lowe, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lowe Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century
  • Robert Lowe, aged 32, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "S. S. Waimana" in 1926

Lowe migration to Canada +

Lowe Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Lowe, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Mr. John Lowe U.E. who settled in Sissiboo, Nova Scotia c. 1784 listed on the Muster Roll at Gulliver's Hole, St. Mary's Bay and Sissiboo 12
  • Mr. William Lowe U.E. who settled in Sissiboo, Nova Scotia c. 1784 listed on the Muster Roll at Gulliver's Hole, St. Mary's Bay and Sissiboo 12
Lowe Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Richard Lowe, who landed in Canada in 1841
  • Mrs. Ann Lowe, aged 65 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Jardine" departing 4th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 16th July 1847 but she died on board 13
  • Mr. Lawrence Lowe, aged 28 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but he died on board 13
  • Mrs. Mary Lowe, aged 29 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Larch" departing 11th July 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th August 1847 but she died on board 13

Lowe migration to the United States +



Lowe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jan Bastiansen Lowe, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620-1664 14
  • Jon Lowe, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 14
  • Miss Dorothie Lowe, (b. 1622), aged 13, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Truelove" arriving in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 15
  • Tho Lowe, who landed in Virginia in 1636 14
  • Alister Lowe, who settled in Boston in 1652
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lowe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Clemans Lowe, who landed in Virginia in 1701-1702 14
  • Abraham Lowe, who landed in Maryland in 1716 14
  • Henry, Lowe Sr., who landed in Maryland in 1731 14
  • Freiderich Lowe, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 14
  • Johannes Lowe, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lowe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth Lowe, aged 28, who landed in America in 1810 14
  • John Lowe, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1820 14
  • George S E Lowe, who arrived in New York, NY in 1826 14
  • Hugh Lowe, who landed in Maryland in 1828 14
  • F Lowe, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lowe (post 1700) +

  • Adolph Lowe (1893-1995), German sociologist
  • Thaddeus James Lowe (1943-2025), American musician and record producer, best known as the lead singer of 1960s psychedelic rock band The Electric Prunes, an audio engineer and producer with Todd Rundgren and the band Sparks
  • George Edward Lowe (1957-2025), American voice actor and comedian, voice roles included Space Ghost on the animated series Space Ghost Coast to Coast and its spin-off, Cartoon Planet, recurring voice appearances on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken
  • Brian Lowe (1939-2024), Australian rules footballer who played in Tasmania and Victoria from 1961 to 1968
  • Philip Lowe (1950-2024), English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer
  • Philip "Phil" Lowe (1950-2024), English World Cup winning former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s
  • John Charles Duff Lowe (1942-2024), English pianist, he played piano for the Quarrymen, the group who would evolved into the Beatles
  • Sir Hudson Lowe (1769-1844), British army officer, Governor of St. Helena from 1815-1821 and guard of Napoleon in exile
  • Stuart Craig Lowe (1957-2023), American politician, Mayor of Gainesville, Florida from 2010 to 2013
  • ... (Another 111 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Centaur
  • Horace Henry "Lofty" Lowe (1919-1943), Australian Private who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
  • Miss Florence Audrey  Lowe (1907-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 16
  • Mr. William F. Lowe, British Boy 1st Class, who was aboard the ship "HMS Vanguard" when she exploded in the Scapa Flow off the Orkney Islands, Scotland on 9th July 1917
  • James Edwin Lowe, BEM, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
  • Harold Lowe (1882-1944), English fifth officer on the RMS Titanic who survived the sinking 17
  • ... (Another 2 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  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. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
  12. 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
  13. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 84)
  14. 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)
  15. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 6th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  16. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  17. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html

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