Explore the Family Name Low
The meaning of Low
1. English and Scottish: topographic name for someone who lived near a tumulus, mound or hill, Middle English lowe, from Old English hlāw (see Law 2). 2. Scottish and English: nickname for a short man, from Middle English lah, lowe (Old Norse lágr; the word was adopted first into the northern dialects of Middle English, where Scandinavian influence was strong, and then spread south, with regular alteration of the vowel quality). 3. English and Scottish (of Norman origin): nickname for a violent or dangerous person, from Anglo-Norman French lou, leu ‘wolf’ (from Latin lupus). Wolves were relatively common in Britain at the time when most surnames were formed, as there still existed large tracts of uncleared forest. 4. Scottish: from a pet form of Lawrence. Compare Lowry 2. 5. German (Löw): variant of Löwe ‘lion’ (see Lowe 2). The surname Löw is also found in Czechia and Sweden. Compare Loew. 6. Americanized form of Jewish Lowe. 7. Chinese: variant of Lou or Lau. 8. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 黎, see Li 2. 9. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 羅, see Luo 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Low in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Low" saw a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 2,873 to 2,979, marking a 3.69 percent change. However, despite dropping in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased by 4.85 percent during this decade, from 11,475 to 12,032. The proportion of people named Low per 100,000 also experienced a minor decrease of 4 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,873 | #2,979 | -3.69% |
| Count | 11,475 | 12,032 | 4.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.25 | 4.08 | -4% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Low
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals bearing the surname "Low" identified as White, despite experiencing a decrease of 3.23 percent from 2000 to 2010. Asian/Pacific Islanders held the second most significant percentage, showing a slight increase of 1.59 percent over the decade. The largest changes were noted among those who identified as two or more races and Hispanic, which increased by 36.39 percent and 38.36 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the percentages of Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities both decreased, by 17.87 percent and 2.7 percent respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.83% | 61.77% | -3.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 28.37% | 28.82% | 1.59% |
| Two or More Races | 3.16% | 4.31% | 36.39% |
| Hispanic | 2.19% | 3.03% | 38.36% |
| Black | 2.07% | 1.7% | -17.87% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.37% | 0.36% | -2.7% |
Low ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Low is British & Irish, which comprises 33.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (27.4%) and French & German (14.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Japanese, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 33.8% |
| Chinese | 27.4% |
| French & German | 14.5% |
| Other | 24.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Low
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Low have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 56.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 55.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 55.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 55.40% |
What Low haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Low is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and O-F46, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Thompson, White, Lee, King, Fox, Taylor, Brown, Lowe, Young.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Low surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Low have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Low" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Low" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Low" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Low" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Low?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Low are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition