NameCensus.

UK surname

Slowe

A surname derived from a medieval nickname for someone slow or sluggish.

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Slowe surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, County Durham and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Slowe is 187 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 175.0%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2010

187 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Slowe had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Slowe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Slowe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Slowe 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 42 #28,691
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 76 #27,290
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 175 #19,658
1999 modern 174 #19,870
2000 modern 169 #20,199
2001 modern 167 #20,060
2002 modern 170 #20,243
2003 modern 174 #19,760
2004 modern 173 #19,937
2005 modern 177 #19,598
2006 modern 169 #20,294
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 169 #20,745
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 187 #20,309
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 158 #22,460
2013 modern 159 #22,706
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Slowes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Sheffield, Trimdon and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, County Durham and Barnet. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Trimdon Durham
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 023 Rochdale
2 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
3 County Durham 043 County Durham
4 Barnet 038 Barnet
5 Rochdale 025 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Slowe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Slowe

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Slowe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Slowe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Slowe is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Slowe is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Slowe falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Slowe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Slowe

The surname Slowe originated in England, emerging during the late medieval period in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "slaw," meaning slow or sluggish, potentially referring to a person's unhurried nature or leisurely pace. The name may also stem from a place name containing the element "slaw" or a variation of it.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Slowe surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mention a John Slowe. This suggests the name was already in use by the late 13th century. The Slowe family likely hailed from rural areas or villages where such descriptive surnames were common.

In the 14th century, the Slowe surname appeared in various medieval records and documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, which listed a Robert Slowe. Additionally, the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire from 1332 mentioned a William Slowe, indicating the name's presence across different counties.

Notably, the Slowe surname was recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants throughout England. However, it is essential to note that spellings were often inconsistent during that era, and the name may have been recorded under a slightly different variation.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Slowe surname. One of the earliest was John Slowe (c. 1350-1408), a renowned English prelate who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1391 until his death. Another individual of note was William Slowe (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and academic who held the position of Archdeacon of Taunton.

In the realm of literature, Richard Slowe (1612-1685) was an English playwright and poet known for his work "The Souldiers Courtship." Additionally, Edward Slowe (1622-1694) was a respected English Puritan minister and author of several theological works.

The Slowe surname can also be traced back to places like Slough in Berkshire, which was historically recorded as "Slowe" or "Slow" in ancient documents. This suggests a potential connection between the surname and specific geographic locations within England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Slowe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Slowe 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. Middlesex leads with 17 Slowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 3.11x
Lancashire 16 2.47x
Yorkshire 15 2.77x
Gloucestershire 4 3.74x
Cambridgeshire 1 2.89x
Cheshire 1 0.83x
Derbyshire 1 1.17x
Merionethshire 1 10.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 10 Slowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.83x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 10 90.83x
Chelsea London 8 48.63x
Manchester 8 27.45x
Broughton In Salford 5 84.46x
Cirencester 4 275.86x
Limehouse London 3 50.08x
Upper Hallam 3 638.30x
Kirkdale 2 18.35x
Willesden 2 38.84x
Brightside Bierlow 1 9.43x
Calverley Cum Farsley 1 64.94x
Chatteris 1 113.64x
Hornsey 1 14.49x
Kensington London 1 3.29x
Llanycil 1 185.19x
Over Haddon 1 3333.33x
Paddington London 1 4.98x
Salford 1 5.25x
Spitalfields London 1 24.33x
Weaverham Cum Milton 1 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Emily 2
Kate 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Alma 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Estha 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Louisa 1
Matilda 1
Nelly 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Charles 3
Richard 3
Thomas 2
William 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Drury 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
Tom 1
Walter 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 Slowe households.

FAQ

Slowe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Slowe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Slowe surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Slowe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Slowe a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Slowe surname mean?

A surname derived from a medieval nickname for someone slow or sluggish.

What does the Slowe map show?

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