NameCensus.

UK surname

Sow

A surname derived from the Old English word for a female pig or a person who looks after pigs.

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Sow surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 189, ranked #20,334, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southwark, Wandsworth and Merton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sow is 189 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1160.0%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

189

2016, ranked #20,334

Peak year

2016

189 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sow had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016, ranked #20,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 35 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Sow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sow surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sow 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 35 #27,037
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 1 #34,674
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1997 modern 24 #35,376
1998 modern 29 #34,948
1999 modern 27 #35,224
2000 modern 27 #35,188
2001 modern 26 #35,152
2002 modern 31 #34,866
2003 modern 36 #34,522
2004 modern 41 #34,306
2005 modern 55 #33,349
2006 modern 66 #32,629
2007 modern 69 #32,662
2008 modern 86 #31,114
2009 modern 109 #28,145
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 152 #23,069
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 182 #20,856
2016 modern 189 #20,334

Geography

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Where Sows 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 Southwark, Wandsworth and Merton. 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 Southwark 022 Southwark
2 Wandsworth 011 Wandsworth
3 Merton 003 Merton
4 Southwark 009 Southwark
5 Southwark 033 Southwark

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sow

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Sow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sow 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sow is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sow is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sow falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Sow

The surname "Sow" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "sugu" meaning "pig" or "sow". The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with pigs or raised them.

In medieval times, surnames were often derived from one's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of residence. The surname "Sow" would have referred to someone whose livelihood revolved around pigs or swine, either as a farmer, breeder, or possibly even a vendor of pork products.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Sow" can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Sowe in Cambridgeshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also mention a William Sowe.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in various records across different regions of England. The Hundred Rolls of 1379 record a John Sowe in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Johannes Sowe.

In the 15th century, the surname is found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family of Norfolk. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a "Sowe of Bokynham".

Notable individuals with the surname "Sow" throughout history include:

1. Christopher Sow (c. 1590 - c. 1650), an English soldier and explorer who served in the Virginia Company and was among the early settlers of Jamestown.

2. John Sow (1546 - 1618), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Bingham, Nottinghamshire.

3. William Sow (1654 - 1718), a Scottish farmer and landowner from Ayrshire, known for his involvement in local politics and community affairs.

4. Elizabeth Sow (1675 - 1743), an English midwife and author of one of the earliest published works on midwifery, "The Compleat Midwife's Practice" (1737).

5. Thomas Sow (1801 - 1879), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and was among the first Europeans to document the flora and fauna of the region.

While the surname "Sow" is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the agrarian roots and occupational heritage of its early bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sow 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. Cheshire leads with 4 Sows recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.41x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 4 12.41x
Essex 4 13.87x
Hertfordshire 2 19.86x
Kent 1 2.01x
Lincolnshire 1 4.28x
Middlesex 1 0.68x
Somerset 1 4.25x
Surrey 1 1.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maldon St Marys in Essex leads with 4 Sows recorded in 1881 and an index of 5714.29x.

Place Total Index
Maldon St Marys 4 5714.29x
Tranmere 3 252.10x
Bushey 2 833.33x
Croydon 1 25.32x
Gillingham 1 97.09x
Great Grimsby 1 67.57x
Great Neston 1 909.09x
Limehouse London 1 62.50x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 2
Adeline 1
Arabella 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Ethel 1
Evelyn 1
Margretta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
AH 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 Sow households.

FAQ

Sow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Sow surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016. That gives Sow a modern rank of #20,334.

What does the Sow surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word for a female pig or a person who looks after pigs.

What does the Sow map show?

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