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Rowe Family History

Rowe Surname Meaning

English: from Middle English rowe (Old English rāw) ‘row’. The surname may be topographic for someone who lived by a hedgerow or in a row of houses in a street or habitational for someone who lived in a place so named. Compare Rawe and Rew.

English (of Norman origin): variant of Rolfe, Ralph, or Rough. Compare Rowson.

East German: habitational name from any of the places called Rowe, Rowa, Rowe(n). Compare Rowen.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Rowe family from?

You can see how Rowe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rowe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rowe families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 3,400 Rowe families living in Cornwall. This was about 20% of all the recorded Rowe's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Rowe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rowe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Rowe 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 Rowe. 6% of Rowe men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Rowe women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rowe were Builders Labourer and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Rowe | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Farm Labourer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Rowe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 655,000 census records available for the last name Rowe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rowe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Rowe

Passenger Lists

There are 71,000 immigration records available for the last name Rowe. 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 Rowe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 86,000 military records available for the last name Rowe. For the veterans among your Rowe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rowe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Rowe family history

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What is the average Rowe lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Rowe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Rowe in 1941 was 25, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rowe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Rowe ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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