NameCensus.

UK surname

Mowe

A surname derived from an Old English word referring to a person who mowed or cut grass.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Mowe surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bury and Foleshill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Walsall, Hinckley and Bosworth and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mowe is 141 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.8%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

2000

141 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mowe had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 135 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mowe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mowe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mowe 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 62 #22,232
1861 historical 85 #22,922
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 135 #19,692
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 128 #19,664
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 137 #22,922
1999 modern 135 #23,279
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 121 #25,785
2009 modern 129 #25,314
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 132 #25,303
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 122 #27,358
2015 modern 124 #26,944
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Mowes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bury, Foleshill, Solihull, Church Bickenhill and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Walsall, Hinckley and Bosworth and Herefordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bury Lancashire
3 Foleshill Warwickshire
4 Solihull, Church Bickenhill Warwickshire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Walsall 009 Walsall
2 Hinckley and Bosworth 007 Hinckley and Bosworth
3 Walsall 003 Walsall
4 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
5 Walsall 013 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mowe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mowe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mowe, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mowe is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mowe 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

Mowe falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mowe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mowe

The surname MOWE has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "mu," which referred to a mow or haystack. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked with haystacks or as a farmer.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname MOWE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a John le Mowe in Oxfordshire. Similar spellings from this period include Mow, Mowe, and Moo.

In the 14th century, the MOWE surname appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1332, which mentioned a John Mowe from Gloucestershire. Additionally, the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 listed a Robert Mowe from Yorkshire.

The MOWE surname may also have ties to certain place names, such as Mow Cop in Cheshire, which was originally recorded as "Mowe Cop" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Notable individuals with the surname MOWE throughout history include:

1. William Mowe (c. 1460 - c. 1510), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Guildford in 1491. 2. John Mowe (c. 1520 - 1592), an English clergyman and rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham. 3. Thomas Mowe (c. 1580 - 1644), a British colonist and one of the earliest settlers in Virginia. 4. Elizabeth Mowe (1659 - 1718), an English writer and poet, known for her work "The Unparalleled Mistress." 5. Samuel Mowe (1720 - 1791), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War.

While the MOWE surname may have evolved over time and taken on various spellings, its origins can be traced back to the occupational and place name roots in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mowe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mowe 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. Warwickshire leads with 27 Mowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.91x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 27 15.91x
Lancashire 18 2.25x
Nottinghamshire 10 11.02x
Staffordshire 5 2.20x
Middlesex 4 0.59x
Yorkshire 3 0.45x
Kent 1 0.44x
Surrey 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hucknall Torkard in Nottinghamshire leads with 9 Mowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 391.30x.

Place Total Index
Hucknall Torkard 9 391.30x
Bulkington 7 1891.89x
Bury 7 76.75x
Foleshill 7 391.06x
Birmingham 6 10.61x
Pelsall 5 735.29x
Eccleston In Prescot 4 99.75x
Paddington London 4 16.16x
Exhall 3 1153.85x
Heap 3 70.75x
Aston Cum Aughton 2 363.64x
Coventry Holy Trinity 2 39.45x
Coventry St Michael 2 36.70x
Elton 2 72.46x
West Derby 2 8.56x
Carshalton 1 80.00x
Dover St James 1 99.01x
Holy Trinity 1 6.23x
Nottingham St Mary 1 4.26x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 7
Joseph 5
John 3
Thomas 3
Harry 2
Alfred 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
George 1
Henry 1
Jessie 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mowe households.

FAQ

Mowe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mowe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Mowe surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mowe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Mowe a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Mowe surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old English word referring to a person who mowed or cut grass.

What does the Mowe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mowe 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.