Dow is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, England. It is 3 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Dow
No. of characters: 3
Origin: Ireland, England
Meaning:

Probably a corruption of the Gaelic, Dhu, i.e. black; but don or doo, the Scottish for dove or pigeon, may be the origin. Dow, without prefix, is found in Hundred Rolls It also appears to have been a personal name, and to have given rise to Dowson, Dowse, Dowsing, and Dowsett, and also to the local name Dowsly in Lincolnshire.

Family name is the variation of Doe. From the animal, like Hart, Buck, Roe, etc. Those mythical 'parties' to so many legal proceedings, "Jonix DOE and RICHARD ROE," are evidently of forest extraction, and point to the days when forest laws prevailed and venison was a sacred thing. In Hundred Rolls there is a John le Doe.

A form of Doe. Dweller at the sign of the doe or female deer.

One with a dark complexion or black hair.

Black.

Dow is the variant of the Doo. May be the Scottish for Dove ? Le Do. H.R.

The lastname Dow is the variant of Dove. The bird. Also a beautiful river of Derbyshire.

How popular is Dow?

Dow is common in United States, Libya, Canada, Australia, Scotland, England, India, Israel, New Zealand, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa.

Dow is ranked 14257 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Dow bearers increased by 5.81 per cent in 2010 US census to 15472 since 2000, the surname slipped by 78 spots and ranked at 2356. The last name was found in around 5 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 83.14 84.16
Black 9.58 9.59
Hispanic or Latino 3.21 2.61
Others 2 1.43
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.29 1.25
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78 0.96
Dow is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Libya lie ahead in terms of density. Around 39076 people have been found who wears Dow as their family name. Dow is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Dow:
2,117 United States21,630
Countries with thousands of Dow:
558 Libya3,406
1,685 Canada3,270
1,566 Australia2,553
388 Scotland2,523
3,409 England2,258
Countries with hundreds of Dow:
57,238 India501
2,653 Israel480
1,790 New Zealand439
21,412 Egypt275
30,300 Nigeria275
41,930 Indonesia257
29,333 South Africa177
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
119,953 Thailand97
3,712 Wales82
1,451 Guyana81
49,471 Iran69
3,487 Northern Ireland51
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
21,548 Mexico47
3,171 Trinidad and Tobago44
149,911 France41
34,646 Pakistan32
6,891 Ireland31
11,471 Dominican Republic31
50,501 Netherlands30
20,323 United Arab Emirates30
147,383 Germany25
3,101 China24
55,452 Papua New Guinea19
58,585 Spain19
236,959 Brazil18
21,578 Venezuela18
70,664 Malaysia17
3,428 Hong Kong13
56,422 Sweden13
14,334 Mauritania12
32,022 Denmark11
126,214 Poland11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
1,084 Antigua and Barbuda9
8,518 Panama9
5,799 Sudan9
9,090 Jamaica7
238,248 Philippines7
190,047 Argentina6
103,447 Belgium6
23,614 Colombia6
29,369 Liberia6
2,503 United States Virgin Islands6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Elspet Dow hailed from Great Britain. During the great famine, 30 years old embarked for USA from Greenock on Tadmor and arrived on June 16, 1849. 30 years old El. Dow, 30 years old Mary Dow, William Dow (22) Joiner, Ellen Dow, aged 55, 16 years old Alice Dow, Immigrant Mary Dow, Dennis Dow (11) Immigrant, Margt. Dow (14), are others that migrated to US from Greenock, Liverpool and Limerick.

From Germany

Anton Dow worked as farmer and hailed from Germany. 19 years old embarked for USA from Antwerp on Columbus and arrived on May 31, 1852. Anton Dow (19) Farmer and mechanic, James-L. Dow, aged 21, Ferdinand Dow, Eisik Dow (3), Rochel Dow (25), Mour Dow, aged 46, Wilt. Dow (21) Laborer, Hall Dow (29), are others that migrated to US from Antwerp, Liverpool & Queenstown, Hamburg & Havre and Glasgow & Moville.

Dow Namesakes

  • Lorenzo Dow, eccentric itinerant American evangelist
  • Ann Dow, Canadian water polo player
  • Edward Dow, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Alden B. Dow, American architect based in Midland, Michigan
  • Grace A. Dow, American philanthropist
  • William Dow, British-born brewer and financier of Montreal
  • George Francis Dow, American antiquarian for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
  • Ewan Dow, Scottish politician
  • Andy Dow, Scottish former footballer
  • George Dow, employee of the London and North Eastern Railway and British Railways
  • Herbert Henry Dow, Canadian-born American chemical industrialist
  • Alex Dow, Scottish-born American mechanical and electrical engineer for the city of Detroit
  • Graham Dow, retired British Anglican bishop
  • William Gould Dow, American scientist, educator and inventor
  • Charles Dow, American journalist
  • Neal Dow, American Prohibition advocate and politician
  • Tony Dow, American film producer, director, sculptor
  • Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter, printmaker
  • Unity Dow, judge, human rights activist
  • Ellen Albertini Dow, American film and television character actress and drama coach
  • Creagen Dow, American/Canadian actor, writer
  • John G. Dow, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives
  • Bruce Dow, American-Canadian actor, best
  • Nancy Dow, American actress and model
  • George Augustus La Dow, U.S. Representative from Oregon
  • Ken Dow, American football defensive back
  • Harold Dow, American television news correspondent, journalist

Dow Namesakes

  • Lorenzo Dow, eccentric itinerant American evangelist
  • Ann Dow, Canadian water polo player
  • Edward Dow, politician in Manitoba, Canada
  • Alden B. Dow, American architect based in Midland, Michigan
  • Grace A. Dow, American philanthropist
  • William Dow, British-born brewer and financier of Montreal
  • George Francis Dow, American antiquarian for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
  • Ewan Dow, Scottish politician
  • Andy Dow, Scottish former footballer
  • George Dow, employee of the London and North Eastern Railway and British Railways
  • Herbert Henry Dow, Canadian-born American chemical industrialist
  • Alex Dow, Scottish-born American mechanical and electrical engineer for the city of Detroit
  • Graham Dow, retired British Anglican bishop
  • William Gould Dow, American scientist, educator and inventor
  • Charles Dow, American journalist
  • Neal Dow, American Prohibition advocate and politician
  • Tony Dow, American film producer, director, sculptor
  • Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter, printmaker
  • Unity Dow, judge, human rights activist
  • Ellen Albertini Dow, American film and television character actress and drama coach
  • Creagen Dow, American/Canadian actor, writer
  • John G. Dow, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives
  • Bruce Dow, American-Canadian actor, best
  • Nancy Dow, American actress and model
  • George Augustus La Dow, U.S. Representative from Oregon
  • Ken Dow, American football defensive back
  • Harold Dow, American television news correspondent, journalist

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