UK surname
A person living near a river crossing or ford.
In the 1881 census there were 149 people recorded with the Tow surname, ranking it #15,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 80, ranked #33,030, down from #15,551 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Farndon, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tow is 240 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 46.3%.
1881 census count
149
Ranked #15,551
Modern count
80
2016, ranked #33,030
Peak year
1901
240 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Tow surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Tow surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 175 | #11,542 |
| 1881 | historical | 149 | #15,551 |
| 1891 | historical | 4 | #34,098 |
| 1901 | historical | 240 | #13,461 |
| 1997 | modern | 92 | #28,079 |
| 1998 | modern | 83 | #29,638 |
| 1999 | modern | 84 | #29,700 |
| 2000 | modern | 81 | #30,036 |
| 2001 | modern | 78 | #30,168 |
| 2002 | modern | 72 | #31,269 |
| 2003 | modern | 68 | #31,689 |
| 2004 | modern | 74 | #31,306 |
| 2005 | modern | 75 | #31,400 |
| 2006 | modern | 76 | #31,633 |
| 2007 | modern | 76 | #31,966 |
| 2008 | modern | 74 | #32,460 |
| 2009 | modern | 79 | #32,372 |
| 2010 | modern | 84 | #32,289 |
| 2011 | modern | 75 | #33,071 |
| 2012 | modern | 74 | #33,348 |
| 2013 | modern | 80 | #33,058 |
| 2014 | modern | 80 | #33,133 |
| 2015 | modern | 78 | #33,210 |
| 2016 | modern | 80 | #33,030 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Farndon, London parishes, St Pancras, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farndon | Nottinghamshire |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard | Nottinghamshire |
| 5 | Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars | Leicestershire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Tow surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tow, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Tow surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Tow household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Tow is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tow is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Tow, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname "Tow" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "toh" or "tog", which referred to a village or settlement on a spur or projecting piece of land. This suggests that the name likely originated in rural areas where people were identified by the physical characteristics of their local environment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Toue" and "Tou". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation across England and provides valuable insights into surnames and their origins during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Towe" and "Tou". One notable example is John de Towe, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. These rolls were legal documents that recorded proceedings related to property disputes and other matters in medieval England.
During the 14th century, the name "Tow" began to emerge more frequently in historical records. One notable individual from this period was Roger Tow, a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1345. These records documented land transactions and property transfers in medieval England.
In the 15th century, the surname "Tow" was also associated with several notable individuals. One example is John Tow, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the city's thriving wool trade in the late 1400s. Another was William Tow, a prominent landowner from Oxfordshire, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1523, which recorded taxes levied on individuals based on their wealth and property ownership.
As the surname spread across England, it also developed various localized spellings and variations. For instance, in the county of Somerset, the name was often spelled as "Towe", while in Lancashire, it was often written as "Touw". These regional variations were common in the pre-modern era, reflecting the diversity of dialects and local customs across different parts of the country.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tow surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lincolnshire leads with 33 Tows recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.20x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lincolnshire | 33 | 14.20x |
| Middlesex | 23 | 1.58x |
| Yorkshire | 21 | 1.46x |
| Leicestershire | 17 | 10.55x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 0.70x |
| Kent | 8 | 1.61x |
| Cambridgeshire | 6 | 6.52x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 3.06x |
| Surrey | 5 | 0.71x |
| Berkshire | 4 | 3.67x |
| Gloucestershire | 3 | 1.05x |
| Midlothian | 3 | 1.54x |
| Shropshire | 3 | 2.39x |
| Hertfordshire | 2 | 2.00x |
| Cornwall | 1 | 0.61x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.34x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.20x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Grantham in Lincolnshire leads with 14 Tows recorded in 1881 and an index of 462.05x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 12 |
| Elizabeth | 11 |
| Sarah | 6 |
| Charlotte | 4 |
| Eliza | 4 |
| Hannah | 4 |
| Emma | 3 |
| Agnes | 2 |
| Betsy | 2 |
| Ellen | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Margaretta | 2 |
| Ada | 1 |
| Alice | 1 |
| Blanche | 1 |
| Carrie | 1 |
| Catherine | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Ethel | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Flora | 1 |
| Grace | 1 |
| Hart. | 1 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Hellen | 1 |
| Henrietta | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Louise | 1 |
| Lucy | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Mariann | 1 |
| Martha | 1 |
| Millicent | 1 |
| Rebecca | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Susan | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tow surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Tow households.
FAQ
In 1881, 149 people were recorded with the Tow surname. That placed it at #15,551 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016. That gives Tow a modern rank of #33,030.
A person living near a river crossing or ford.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tow bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.