NameCensus.

UK surname

Thow

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "thick woods" or "dense forest."

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Thow surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 474, ranked #10,385, down from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fordoun, Old Deer and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mearns South and Benholm, Mearns North and Inverbervie and Aboyne and South Deeside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thow is 479 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.7%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

474

2016, ranked #10,385

Peak year

2015

479 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thow had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016, ranked #10,385.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 306 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Thow surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thow surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thow 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 171 #11,730
1861 historical 236 #10,393
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 306 #10,945
1901 historical 303 #11,569
1911 historical 26 #30,547
1997 modern 464 #9,831
1998 modern 477 #9,955
1999 modern 462 #10,249
2000 modern 443 #10,578
2001 modern 432 #10,584
2002 modern 444 #10,553
2003 modern 435 #10,571
2004 modern 429 #10,718
2005 modern 431 #10,558
2006 modern 445 #10,319
2007 modern 441 #10,513
2008 modern 451 #10,394
2009 modern 446 #10,755
2010 modern 460 #10,719
2011 modern 464 #10,524
2012 modern 457 #10,548
2013 modern 468 #10,516
2014 modern 473 #10,509
2015 modern 479 #10,327
2016 modern 474 #10,385

Geography

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Where Thows are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fordoun, Old Deer, Govan Combination, Glenbervie and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mearns South and Benholm, Mearns North and Inverbervie, Aboyne and South Deeside, Durno-Chapel of Garioch and Howe of Alford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Fordoun Kincardine
2 Old Deer Aberdeen
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glenbervie Kincardine
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mearns South and Benholm Aberdeenshire
2 Mearns North and Inverbervie Aberdeenshire
3 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire
4 Durno-Chapel of Garioch Aberdeenshire
5 Howe of Alford Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thow

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thow

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Thow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Thow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Thow 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

Thow is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thow falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Thow

The surname THOW has its origins in England, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "tho" and "hoh," which translate to "the ridge" or "the heel," suggesting that the name may have originated from a descriptive term for a geographical feature or settlement situated on a ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname THOW can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a John de Tho is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled with the "de" prefix, which was common for locational surnames during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, the THOW surname appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1349, which lists a William Thowe. The spelling variation "Thowe" is also seen in historical documents from this period.

Among the notable individuals bearing the THOW surname throughout history is John Thow, a Scottish writer and historian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his work "Provin Antiquitie of the Nation of the Picts," published in 1617, which explored the history and origins of the Pictish people in Scotland.

Another prominent figure with the THOW surname is Sir William Thow, a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1677 to 1681. He played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of Scotland during the turbulent years of the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, William Thow (1711-1785) was a renowned Scottish architect and builder who designed and constructed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Old College of the University of Edinburgh and the Canongate Kirk.

Moving into the 19th century, James Thow (1818-1887) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Thow Trust, a charitable organization that supported educational initiatives and institutions in Scotland.

Lastly, one of the more recent notable individuals with the THOW surname is David Thow (1910-1983), a British artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits of rural life in Scotland and England.

While the surname THOW may have originated from a descriptive term for a geographical feature, it has since spread across various regions and countries, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Thow families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thow 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 89 Thows recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.57x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 89 35.57x
Kincardineshire 77 234.04x
Angus 69 27.56x
Lanarkshire 12 1.37x
Fife 6 3.75x
Renfrewshire 5 2.39x
Yorkshire 5 0.19x
Lancashire 3 0.09x
Midlothian 3 0.83x
Middlesex 2 0.07x
Staffordshire 2 0.22x
Dumfriesshire 1 1.68x
Northumberland 1 0.25x
Ross-shire 1 1.35x
Surrey 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 22 Thows recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.54x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 22 23.54x
Fetteresso 21 406.98x
Aberdeen Old Machar 19 36.36x
Liff Benvie 16 42.11x
Fettercairn 14 1000.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 12 25.63x
Kintore 11 506.91x
Banchory Ternan 9 316.90x
Birse 9 891.09x
Govan 8 3.70x
Maryculter 8 808.08x
Old Deer 8 168.78x
Peterculter 8 451.98x
Glenmuick Tullich 7 388.89x
Montrose 7 46.14x
Forfar 6 44.28x
Glenbervie 6 666.67x
Menmuir 6 857.14x
Bervie 5 256.41x
Edzell 5 657.89x
Greasbrough 5 141.24x
Paisley High Church 5 29.99x
Anstruther Easter 4 347.83x
Arbuthnott 4 533.33x
Barony 4 1.81x
Duddingston 3 41.27x
Echt 3 247.93x
Garvock 3 750.00x
Newtyle 3 352.94x
Salford 3 3.18x
Benholm 2 141.84x
Drumoak 2 232.56x
Kincardine O Neil 2 111.73x
Marykirk 2 147.06x
Methlick 2 100.00x
Tarves 2 84.39x
West Bromwich 2 3.83x
Banchory Devenick 1 32.57x
Brechin 1 10.16x
Ceres 1 52.08x
Clapham 1 2.96x
Coull 1 135.14x
Fraserburgh 1 14.20x
Fyvie 1 24.51x
Islington London 1 0.38x
Kilrenny 1 33.78x
Kincardine 1 72.99x
Langholm 1 23.31x
Laurencekirk 1 52.36x
Lochlee 1 303.03x
Logie Pert 1 108.70x
New Deer 1 22.08x
Newstead 1 769.23x
Panbride 1 76.92x
St Pancras London 1 0.46x
Strachan 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alfred 2
George 2
Fred 1
James 1
John 1
William 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 Thow households.

FAQ

Thow surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thow surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Thow surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thow surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 474 in 2016. That gives Thow a modern rank of #10,385.

What does the Thow surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "thick woods" or "dense forest."

What does the Thow map show?

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