History of your Surname
Get access to Gow family records.Start a free trial

Gow Family History

Gow Name Meaning

Scottish: occupational name from Gaelic gobha ‘smith’ or a shortened form of McGow from Mac Gobhann and Mac a' Ghobhainn ‘son of the smith’. Irish: from Mac an Ghobha a variant of Mac an Ghabhann ‘son of the smith’ see Gowan and McGowan . Smith is used as a synonym for Gow in counties Cavan and Meath. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 伍 (see Wu ) and 高 (see Gao ).

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


Similar surnames: Bow, Goy, Low, Mow, Dow, Gaw, Hoy, Kok, Goos, Hon

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Gow family from?

You can see how Gow families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gow family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gow families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 125 Gow families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Gow's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gow families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gow surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Gow 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 Gow. 16% of Gow men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Gow women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gow were Motor Mechanic and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Gow | 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
    16%
  • Solicitors Clerk
    11%
  • Marine Engineer
    11%
  • Motor Mechanic
    11%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Private Means
    9%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gow family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Gow. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gow census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gow

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Gow. 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 Gow immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Gow. For the veterans among your Gow ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gow military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gow family history

Discover More

What is the average Gow lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gow life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Gow in 1940 was 41, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gow

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gow family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gow last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial