NameCensus.

UK surname

Stowe

Place-name derived from Old English meaning "place" or "holy place."

In the 1881 census there were 878 people recorded with the Stowe surname, ranking it #4,323 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,152, ranked #5,124, down from #4,323 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trowbridge, London parishes and Brington, Althorpe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cotswold, Cherwell and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stowe is 1,338 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.2%.

1881 census count

878

Ranked #4,323

Modern count

1,152

2016, ranked #5,124

Peak year

2000

1,338 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stowe had 878 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,323 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,152 in 2016, ranked #5,124.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,269 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stowe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stowe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stowe 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 469 #5,291
1861 historical 539 #4,868
1881 historical 878 #4,323
1891 historical 1,137 #3,744
1901 historical 1,099 #4,395
1911 historical 1,269 #3,743
1997 modern 1,209 #4,679
1998 modern 1,318 #4,505
1999 modern 1,332 #4,492
2000 modern 1,338 #4,453
2001 modern 1,301 #4,476
2002 modern 1,325 #4,495
2003 modern 1,265 #4,590
2004 modern 1,256 #4,623
2005 modern 1,229 #4,663
2006 modern 1,199 #4,773
2007 modern 1,204 #4,804
2008 modern 1,226 #4,761
2009 modern 1,250 #4,775
2010 modern 1,263 #4,837
2011 modern 1,244 #4,842
2012 modern 1,181 #4,977
2013 modern 1,181 #5,062
2014 modern 1,185 #5,080
2015 modern 1,155 #5,133
2016 modern 1,152 #5,124

Geography

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Where Stowes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trowbridge, London parishes, Brington, Althorpe and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cotswold, Cherwell, Stratford-on-Avon and North Warwickshire. 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 Trowbridge Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Brington, Althorpe Northamptonshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cotswold 001 Cotswold
2 Cherwell 009 Cherwell
3 Stratford-on-Avon 009 Stratford-on-Avon
4 Stratford-on-Avon 011 Stratford-on-Avon
5 North Warwickshire 004 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stowe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stowe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stowe, 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 Stowe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Stowe 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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Stowe is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Stowe 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

Stowe falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stowe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Stowe

The surname Stowe originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from various places in England called Stow or Stowe, which come from the Old English word 'stow', meaning a place or a religious dwelling. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or came from one of these places.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stowe can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Stou' and 'Stowa'. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as 'de Stowe', 'atte Stowe', and 'Stowe'. These variations indicate that the name was originally a place name that later became a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Stowe, an English historian and antiquarian who lived from 1525 to 1605. He is best known for his 'Survey of London', a chronicle of the history and topography of the city.

Another notable figure with the surname Stowe was Harriet Beecher Stowe, an American author and abolitionist who lived from 1811 to 1896. She is best known for her influential anti-slavery novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', which played a significant role in fueling the abolitionist movement in the United States.

In the 16th century, the surname Stowe was also associated with the village of Stowe in Buckinghamshire, England. The Stowe family, whose surname derived from this place, owned the Stowe House and Gardens, a significant English country house and landscaped gardens.

Other notable individuals with the surname Stowe include David Stowe, an American educator and historian who lived from 1930 to 1997, and Lyman Beecher Stowe, an American lawyer and author who lived from 1880 to 1963.

Throughout its history, the surname Stowe has been recorded with various spellings, including Stow, Stowes, Stowey, and Stowye, reflecting regional variations and changes in spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stowe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stowe 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 115 Stowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.34x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 115 1.34x
Warwickshire 99 4.58x
Lincolnshire 76 5.54x
Yorkshire 76 0.89x
Essex 60 3.54x
Surrey 50 1.20x
Oxfordshire 43 8.12x
Lancashire 42 0.41x
Gloucestershire 37 2.20x
Glamorgan 33 2.21x
Suffolk 31 2.97x
Derbyshire 29 2.16x
Northamptonshire 29 3.60x
Wiltshire 29 3.82x
Herefordshire 18 5.12x
Buckinghamshire 13 2.51x
Leicestershire 11 1.16x
Devon 10 0.56x
Kent 10 0.34x
Somerset 10 0.72x
Hertfordshire 7 1.18x
Staffordshire 7 0.24x
Shropshire 6 0.81x
Worcestershire 6 0.54x
Ayrshire 5 0.78x
Berkshire 5 0.78x
Hampshire 4 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.76x
Sussex 3 0.21x
Cheshire 2 0.11x
Durham 2 0.08x
Monmouthshire 2 0.32x
Norfolk 2 0.15x
Angus 1 0.13x
Bedfordshire 1 0.23x
Cardiganshire 1 0.48x
Royal Navy 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 29 Stowes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 29 3.49x
Trowbridge 26 77.57x
Birmingham 17 2.36x
Staveley 17 71.34x
Camberwell 15 2.74x
Roath 15 22.12x
Charlbury 13 218.86x
Whichford 13 1092.44x
Corringham 12 550.46x
Shoreditch London 12 3.23x
Hereford All Sts 11 68.28x
Kensington London 11 2.31x
Leeds 11 2.29x
Stisted 11 502.28x
Bristol St James St Paul 10 17.83x
Cardiff St John 10 20.50x
Lambeth 10 1.34x
Leamington 10 69.78x
Newington 10 3.16x
Pudsey 10 22.02x
Banbury 9 84.91x
Chelsea London 9 3.48x
Liverpool 9 1.46x
Pucklechurch 9 237.47x
Stratford On Avon 9 75.06x
Aston Le Walls 8 2666.67x
Blackburn 8 2.96x
Brightlingsea 8 82.73x
Bulphan 8 963.86x
Cardiff St Mary 8 9.73x
Chipping Campden 8 146.25x
Great Grimsby 8 9.19x
Holbeck 8 14.21x
Messingham 8 240.96x
Mile End 8 258.90x
Shire Hall Yard 8 888.89x
Accrington 7 7.57x
Goole 7 49.16x
Ipswich St Peter 7 49.79x
Lidford 7 87.28x
Quinton 7 476.19x
St Nicholas Lincoln 7 53.39x
Walton On Thames 7 36.50x
Blockley 6 94.79x
Brailes 6 180.72x
Eckington 6 18.40x
Friern Barnet 6 31.76x
Hackney London 6 1.25x
Ledbury 6 49.67x
Leicester St Mary 6 7.81x
Old Stratford 6 49.02x
Studley 6 64.86x
Caythorpe 5 190.11x
Cottingham 5 27.31x
Harrow On The Hill 5 29.19x
Haverhill 5 324.68x
Kilmarnock 5 6.55x
Leamington Priors 5 9.40x
Leicester St Margaret 5 2.16x
Ridge 5 420.17x
Scotter 5 159.24x
Shrewsbury St Chad 5 19.23x
Solihull 5 32.18x
Atherstone On Stour 4 1481.48x
Battersea 4 1.27x
Bradford 4 1.94x
Bromley London 4 2.12x
Chipping Warden 4 344.83x
Dronfield 4 23.26x
Frome 4 12.12x
Great Wakering 4 105.82x
Holy Trinity 4 1.96x
Horley 4 434.78x
Margate St John Baptist 4 7.47x
Neithrop 4 22.47x
Paddington London 4 1.27x
Springthorpe 4 634.92x
Stadhampton 4 366.97x
Woodford Cum Membris 4 232.56x
Wycombe 4 10.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 56
George 42
John 42
Henry 20
James 20
Frederick 18
Thomas 18
Charles 17
Alfred 16
Joseph 14
Samuel 12
Albert 9
Edward 9
Robert 9
Walter 9
Arthur 8
Richard 8
Wm. 5
Edwin 4
Cornelius 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frederic 3
Jacob 3
Jesse 3
Sidney 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Leonard 2
Lewis 2
Saml. 2
Willie 2
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
Elisha 1
Eustace 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fred.W. 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Hy. 1
J. 1
Jabez 1
Jonathan 1
Wm.Geo. 1

FAQ

Stowe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stowe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 878 people were recorded with the Stowe surname. That placed it at #4,323 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stowe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,152 in 2016. That gives Stowe a modern rank of #5,124.

What does the Stowe surname mean?

Place-name derived from Old English meaning "place" or "holy place."

What does the Stowe map show?

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