Dow Family History

Dow Surname Meaning

Scottish: nickname from Gaelic dubh ‘black’ (see Duff).

English: from the Middle English personal name Dow, a rhyming pet form of Row(e), representing a common pronunciation of Rolf, a side form of Ralph. See Rolfe and compare Daw, Dawson, and Dowson.

Alternatively, in East Anglia, the name may be a variant of Dove. Americanized form of Dutch Douw: from the personal name Douwe, from Frisian dou ‘pigeon’.

Americanized form of German Dau. Americanized form of French Daoust.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Bow, Low, Dowd, Don, Down, Daw, Mow, Dom, Doe, Dowe

213K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
38K	Military Records
117K	Immigration Records
168K	Census and Voter Lists
454K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Dow family from?

You can see how Dow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dow families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 303 Dow families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Dow's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dow families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Dow

What did your Dow ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dow. 7% of Dow men worked as a General labourer and 72% of Dow women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dow were Bank clerk and Household duties.

View Census Data for Dow

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Carpenter

Plumber

Bank clerk

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Household duties

What Dow family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 168K census records available for the last name Dow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dow

Passenger List

There are 117K immigration records available for the last name Dow. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dow immigration records

Military Records

There are 38K military records available for the last name Dow. For the veterans among your Dow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dow military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dow family history

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What is the average Dow lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Dow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dow in 1940 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dow family tree

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Dow Surname Meaning

Scottish: nickname from Gaelic dubh ‘black’ (see Duff).

Alternatively, in East Anglia, the name may be a variant of Dove. Americanized form of Dutch Douw: from the personal name Douwe, from Frisian dou ‘pigeon’.

Americanized form of German Dau. Americanized form of French Daoust.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Dow family from?

What did your Dow ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

Carpenter

Plumber

Bank clerk

Unpaid domestic duties

72%

Unpaid domestic

Housewife

Household duties

What Dow family records will you find?

What is the average Dow lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Dow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dow in 1940 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

Dow Family History

Dow Surname Meaning

993,000 record(s) for Dow

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Dow family from?

What did your Dow ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Dow family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Dow family history

What is the average Dow lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dow family tree

Search for another surname

Dow Surname Meaning

993,000 record(s) for Dow

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Dow family from?

What did your Dow ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Dow family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Dow family history

What is the average Dow lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dow family tree

Search for another surname