NameCensus.

UK surname

Towe

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "knoll."

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Towe surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 226, ranked #18,044, up from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Belgrave, Chilvers Coton and Wednesbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Derbyshire Dales, Walsall and Wychavon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Towe is 315 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 148.4%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

226

2016, ranked #18,044

Peak year

1891

315 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Towe had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016, ranked #18,044.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 315 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Towe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Towe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Towe 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 172 #13,619
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 315 #10,669
1901 historical 273 #12,409
1911 historical 307 #11,257
1997 modern 237 #15,809
1998 modern 253 #15,547
1999 modern 245 #16,012
2000 modern 245 #15,955
2001 modern 232 #16,314
2002 modern 245 #16,041
2003 modern 230 #16,549
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 243 #15,943
2006 modern 234 #16,493
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 231 #16,973
2009 modern 237 #17,052
2010 modern 240 #17,230
2011 modern 241 #17,057
2012 modern 226 #17,679
2013 modern 232 #17,663
2014 modern 228 #17,977
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 226 #18,044

Geography

Back to top

Where Towes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Belgrave, Chilvers Coton, Wednesbury, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Derbyshire Dales, Walsall, Wychavon and Flintshire. 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 Belgrave Leicestershire
2 Chilvers Coton Warwickshire
3 Wednesbury Staffordshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
2 Walsall 030 Walsall
3 Wychavon 001 Wychavon
4 Flintshire 008 Flintshire
5 Derbyshire Dales 005 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Towe

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Towe

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Towe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Towe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Towe 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

Towe is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Towe 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 Towe 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 Towe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Towe

The surname TOWE has its origins in medieval England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or a dwelling, which later evolved into the modern English word "town." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived in a particular town or settlement.

During the Middle Ages, the TOWE surname was prominent in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Early records indicate that it was often spelled as "Towe," "Touw," or "Touwe," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that period.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the TOWE surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Towe is listed as a landowner in Norfolk. This historical document provides valuable insight into the distribution and status of families in medieval England.

Notable individuals bearing the TOWE surname include Sir William Towe, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward III. Another historical figure was John Towe, a merchant and alderman of the City of London in the late 15th century, who played a significant role in the city's governance.

The TOWE surname also had connections to various place names in England. For instance, the village of Tow in Somerset was once known as "Towe," and it is possible that some individuals took their surname from this location. Similarly, the town of Towcester in Northamptonshire may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the TOWE surname continued to be found throughout England, with individuals such as William Towe, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol in the late 16th century, and Thomas Towe, a landowner and justice of the peace in Gloucestershire in the mid-17th century.

As families migrated and spread across different regions, the TOWE surname underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation, leading to forms such as "Tow," "Toe," and "Tew." Despite these changes, the surname maintained its connection to its medieval English roots and the concept of a dwelling or settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Towe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Towe 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. Warwickshire leads with 18 Towes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.13x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 18 8.13x
Leicestershire 12 12.33x
Staffordshire 12 4.05x
Northumberland 11 8.42x
Kent 8 2.67x
Lincolnshire 7 4.99x
Middlesex 6 0.68x
Lanarkshire 5 1.76x
Essex 3 1.73x
Surrey 3 0.70x
Derbyshire 1 0.73x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 7.87x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.85x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elswick in Northumberland leads with 10 Towes recorded in 1881 and an index of 95.97x.

Place Total Index
Elswick 10 95.97x
Wednesbury 9 121.46x
Coventry Holy Trinity 8 121.03x
Deptford St Paul 8 34.63x
Chilvers Coton 7 769.23x
Leicester St Mary 7 89.06x
New Brentford 5 1086.96x
Shotts 5 147.06x
Normanton 4 10000.00x
Leicester St Margaret 3 12.64x
Walsall Foreign 3 19.60x
Ancaster 2 1000.00x
Birmingham 2 2.71x
Putney 2 50.00x
Bedlington 1 22.94x
Bedworth 1 61.73x
Bottesford 1 250.00x
Brightside Bierlow 1 5.86x
Camberwell 1 1.78x
Chelmsford 1 33.67x
Claypole 1 500.00x
Derby St Peter 1 22.83x
Ealing 1 12.74x
Liverpool 1 1.58x
Minnigaff 1 208.33x
Sibthorpe 1 2500.00x
South Weald 1 67.57x
Stock 1 555.56x
Thurmaston North 1 769.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 3
Martha 3
Annie 2
Agness 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Blanche 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Hanah 1
Jane 1
Julson 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Phebe 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
William 5
Joseph 4
Samuel 3
Frank 2
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ashley 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Enoch 1
George 1
Harry 1
Jarvis 1
Josepth 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Wallace 1
Winter 1

FAQ

Towe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Towe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Towe surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Towe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016. That gives Towe a modern rank of #18,044.

What does the Towe surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "knoll."

What does the Towe map show?

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