NameCensus.

UK surname

Prow

An English surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent headland or promontory.

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Prow surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 159, ranked #22,798, up from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Easterhouse, County Durham and Arbroath Kirkton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prow is 174 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 297.5%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

159

2016, ranked #22,798

Peak year

1997

174 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prow had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016, ranked #22,798.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 77 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Prow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Prow surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Prow 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 45 #25,168
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 77 #25,627
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 174 #19,729
1999 modern 169 #20,233
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 155 #21,047
2002 modern 157 #21,261
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 166 #20,441
2005 modern 160 #20,899
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 160 #21,296
2008 modern 160 #21,521
2009 modern 168 #21,290
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 169 #21,437
2013 modern 174 #21,401
2014 modern 171 #21,812
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 159 #22,798

Geography

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Where Prows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Easterhouse, County Durham, Arbroath Kirkton, Arbroath Harbour and Winchester. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Easterhouse Glasgow City
2 County Durham 020 County Durham
3 Arbroath Kirkton Angus
4 Arbroath Harbour Angus
5 Winchester 012 Winchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Prow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Prow

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Prow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Prow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Prow 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

Prow is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Prow falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Prow 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 Prow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Prow

The surname "Prow" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "prow," which referred to the bow or front part of a ship. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked on or operated the prow of a ship, such as a sailor or shipbuilder.

The earliest recorded use of the surname "Prow" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1195, where a man named William Prow is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in the English county of Northamptonshire.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 mention a Robert le Prow, indicating that the name was also present in the county of Cambridgeshire during this period. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname suggests that it may have originally been a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Prow, a knight who lived in the late 14th century and was mentioned in the records of the Court of Chivalry in 1386. This suggests that by the late medieval period, the Prow surname had become associated with individuals of some social standing and prominence.

Another notable individual with the surname was William Prow, a merchant and alderman of the city of London in the early 15th century. He is recorded as having been involved in various civic affairs and trade activities within the city during the reign of King Henry V (1413-1422).

In the 16th century, the surname can be found in various parish records and tax rolls across different parts of England, indicating that it had spread to various regions by this time. One example is John Prow, who was born in 1532 in the village of Stoke-by-Nayland in Suffolk.

Throughout history, the surname "Prow" has also been recorded with various spelling variations, such as Prowe, Proo, and Proue, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and recording practices of earlier times. Additionally, it is possible that the name may have been influenced or derived from similar-sounding place names or geographic features in certain regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Prow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prow 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. Lancashire leads with 8 Prows recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 1.73x
Kent 7 5.26x
Yorkshire 6 1.55x
Leicestershire 5 11.56x
Somerset 5 7.96x
Middlesex 3 0.77x
Lanarkshire 2 1.59x
Renfrewshire 2 6.62x
Herefordshire 1 6.25x
Shropshire 1 2.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wiswell in Lancashire leads with 7 Prows recorded in 1881 and an index of 7000.00x.

Place Total Index
Wiswell 7 7000.00x
Deptford St Paul 6 58.48x
West Monkton 5 3571.43x
Barrow Upon Soar 4 1111.11x
Brightside Bierlow 4 52.77x
Filey 2 645.16x
Govan 2 6.41x
Eastwood 1 53.76x
Hammersmith London 1 10.41x
Leicester St Margaret 1 9.49x
Llangarren 1 714.29x
Mearns 1 188.68x
Northfleet 1 85.47x
Stoke Newington London 1 32.89x
Twickenham 1 59.88x
Wellington 1 52.91x
West Derby 1 7.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
Celina 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Maggie 1
Sarah 1
Vera 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
John 4
Charles 2
Joseph 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Edward 1
James 1
Reginald 1
Thomas 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 Prow households.

FAQ

Prow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Prow surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 159 in 2016. That gives Prow a modern rank of #22,798.

What does the Prow surname mean?

An English surname referring to someone who lived near a prominent headland or promontory.

What does the Prow map show?

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