NameCensus.

UK surname

Lower

An occupational surname referring to a rope maker or someone who lived on a lower floor or level.

In the 1881 census there were 588 people recorded with the Lower surname, ranking it #5,934 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 827, ranked #6,723, down from #5,934 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newhaven, London parishes and Battersea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Caerphilly and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lower is 1,046 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.6%.

1881 census count

588

Ranked #5,934

Modern count

827

2016, ranked #6,723

Peak year

1891

1,046 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lower had 588 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,934 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 827 in 2016, ranked #6,723.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,046 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Lower surname distribution map

The map shows where the Lower surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Lower surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lower over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 477 #5,223
1861 historical 804 #3,418
1881 historical 588 #5,934
1891 historical 1,046 #4,002
1901 historical 808 #5,583
1911 historical 981 #4,611
1997 modern 915 #5,900
1998 modern 912 #6,099
1999 modern 931 #6,043
2000 modern 918 #6,092
2001 modern 883 #6,160
2002 modern 881 #6,280
2003 modern 820 #6,521
2004 modern 802 #6,658
2005 modern 800 #6,615
2006 modern 809 #6,570
2007 modern 831 #6,491
2008 modern 819 #6,608
2009 modern 829 #6,699
2010 modern 851 #6,683
2011 modern 828 #6,750
2012 modern 818 #6,711
2013 modern 849 #6,643
2014 modern 844 #6,692
2015 modern 833 #6,706
2016 modern 827 #6,723

Geography

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Where Lowers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newhaven, London parishes, Battersea, Brighton and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tunbridge Wells, Caerphilly, Stratford-on-Avon, Lewes and Eastbourne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Newhaven Sussex
2 London parishes London 3
3 Battersea London (South Districts)
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tunbridge Wells 002 Tunbridge Wells
2 Caerphilly 018 Caerphilly
3 Stratford-on-Avon 013 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Lewes 013 Lewes
5 Eastbourne 013 Eastbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lower

These lists show first names that appear often with the Lower surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lower

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lower, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Lower surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lower household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lower is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lower is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lower falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lower is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lower, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lower

The surname LOWER is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English word "louwer", which means "one who lives lower down on a hill or stream". It dates back to the early medieval period in England.

The name was initially found in various counties across southern and central England, particularly in areas with undulating landscapes or settlements near rivers and streams. Similar spellings include Louwer, Lowere, and Loure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LOWER appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a landowner named Ælfric Louwere in Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the surname LOWER can be found in various legal and manorial records, such as the Pipe Rolls and the Feet of Fines. One notable example is Robert le Lower, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name LOWER was often associated with place names that included the word "lower", such as Lower Slaughter in Gloucestershire and Lower Winchendon in Buckinghamshire. This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have derived their name from the location where they lived or held land.

Notable individuals with the surname LOWER throughout history include:

1. Sir Sampson Lower (1570-1630), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Arundel. 2. Mark Antony Lower (1813-1876), an English antiquary and genealogist, best known for his work on English surnames. 3. Richard Lower (1631-1691), an English physician and anatomist, who was one of the pioneers of blood transfusion. 4. Michael Lower (1616-1670), an English writer and poet, known for his translations of Greek and Latin works. 5. William Lower (1570-1615), an English clergyman and academic, who served as the Rector of Ufford in Northamptonshire.

The surname LOWER continues to be found in various parts of the English-speaking world, particularly in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals with this name over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lower families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lower surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Sussex leads with 252 Lowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.98x.

County Total Index
Sussex 252 26.98x
Cornwall 60 9.57x
Middlesex 60 1.08x
Kent 40 2.12x
Surrey 26 0.96x
Warwickshire 17 1.22x
Hampshire 16 1.41x
Yorkshire 13 0.24x
Durham 12 0.73x
Staffordshire 11 0.59x
Gloucestershire 8 0.74x
Somerset 8 0.90x
Devon 6 0.52x
Oxfordshire 6 1.75x
Channel Islands 4 2.44x
Dorset 4 1.10x
Glamorgan 4 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.54x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.85x
Norfolk 3 0.35x
Northumberland 2 0.24x
Royal Navy 2 3.03x
Berkshire 1 0.24x
Cheshire 1 0.08x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.67x
Hertfordshire 1 0.26x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newhaven in Sussex leads with 87 Lowers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1146.25x.

Place Total Index
Newhaven 87 1146.25x
Brighton 76 40.32x
Maidstone 25 44.40x
St Just In Roseland 18 654.55x
Bromley London 16 13.13x
Liskeard 15 142.86x
Eastbourne 14 32.57x
Falmouth 13 58.56x
Islington London 13 2.42x
Seaford 13 408.81x
Iford 11 3235.29x
Coventry St Michael 9 20.05x
Hart 9 223.88x
Hove 9 21.96x
Newington 9 4.40x
Portsea 9 4.04x
Kingswinford 7 10.31x
Weston Super Mare 7 31.08x
Gerrans 6 355.03x
Lambeth 6 1.24x
Olveston 6 196.08x
Poplar London 6 5.74x
St Germans 6 136.99x
Tottenham 6 6.80x
Witney 6 104.90x
Battersea 5 2.45x
Long Lawford 5 384.62x
Middlesbrough 5 6.99x
St Pancras London 5 1.12x
Tonbridge 5 7.33x
Wadhurst 5 81.57x
Chelsea London 4 2.40x
Heathfield 4 105.54x
Huddersfield 4 5.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 4.31x
Nottingham St Mary 4 2.07x
St Michaelinthe Vale 4 68.26x
Stoke Damerel 4 4.96x
Stoke Upon Trent 4 2.02x
Telscombe 4 2222.22x
Wimborne Minster 4 68.03x
Deptford St Paul 3 2.06x
Foulmire 3 288.46x
Greenwich 3 3.40x
Lewes St Michael 3 162.16x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.54x
Preston 3 18.39x
Rottingdean 3 94.04x
Sheringham 3 136.36x
Birmingham 2 0.43x
Brading 2 13.25x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 10.14x
Clapham 2 2.89x
Fletching 2 47.85x
Hellingly 2 63.90x
Kensington London 2 0.65x
Lewes St John Southover 2 31.90x
New Shoreham 2 35.71x
Rodmell 2 454.55x
Southwick 2 40.49x
York St Mary 2 8.80x
Bristol St Thomas 1 80.65x
Chiswick 1 3.30x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 2.40x
Hammersmith London 1 0.73x
Hartlepool 1 4.27x
Keymer 1 15.15x
Lewisham 1 0.99x
Mevagissey 1 23.98x
Newport 1 16.23x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 3.77x
Old Windsor 1 20.79x
Shincliffe 1 54.35x
Shoreditch London 1 0.42x
South Shields 1 6.81x
St George Martyr London 1 8.91x
Ticehurst 1 17.48x
Watford 1 3.38x
Wincanton 1 21.79x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Lower surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 14
Alice 13
Ellen 12
Jane 11
Emma 10
Eliza 9
Fanny 9
Anne 6
Louisa 6
Ann 5
Caroline 5
Charlotte 5
Emily 5
Florence 5
Lucy 5
Margaret 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Jessie 4
Maria 4
Minnie 4
Agnes 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Louise 3
Lousia 3
Lydia 3
Martha 3
Rebecca 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Matilda 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Susan 2
Barbara 1
Beda 1
Edna 1
Eliz. 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Lower surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 36
John 28
George 19
Henry 19
Charles 14
Edward 12
Richard 11
Thomas 11
James 10
Arthur 8
Joseph 8
Albert 6
Walter 6
Robert 5
Ernest 4
Alfred 3
Benjamin 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Matthew 3
Samuel 3
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Edgar 2
Edmund 2
Frank 2
Nynian 2
Peter 2
Simpson 2
Bernard 1
Bertie 1
C. 1
C.L. 1
Charley 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmond 1
Edwin 1
Ephraim 1
Erwin 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Jas.Wm. 1
Jesse 1
Jim 1
Jno. 1
Laurence 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lower surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lower surname in 1881?

In 1881, 588 people were recorded with the Lower surname. That placed it at #5,934 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lower surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 827 in 2016. That gives Lower a modern rank of #6,723.

What does the Lower surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a rope maker or someone who lived on a lower floor or level.

What does the Lower map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lower bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.