DOW
Dow is a surname that originates from the Gaelic word dubh, which means “black” or “dark”. The designation was probably applied as a descriptive nickname to a man who possessed dark hair or a dark complexion, thereby distinguishing him from others in the community.
In Scotland the surname can be seen in the regions of Aberdeen and Angus and it is frequently recorded in the British Isles as an element of Christian families of Celtic descent. The name subsequently spread to Ireland where similar Gaelic forms were adopted.
Variations of Dow include
• Dowe • Douw • Dob • Duff
These different spellings arose from regional accents, transcription errors and the process of anglicisation of Gaelic names.
Documented records of the surname date back to the late eleventh century. The first recorded spelling appears as William Dowe in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1194, during the reign of King Richard I. Further early notations include Robert Dow of Cumberland in the 1332 Subsidy Rolls and Lawrence Dow of Somerset, a witness at the Assize Court in Taunton in 1254.
Other proposed etymological sources, not necessarily regarded as definitive, are the Welsh pet form of David “Daw”, the Hebrew word for “friend” and the Middle English word “dawe” referring to a jackdaw. The latter association was popularised by Chaucer in his references to the bird’s raucous call. These interpretations are often used to explain medieval nicknames rather than identify the true origin of the surname.
During the early modern period the name was carried to the New World. A notable early emigrant was Henrey Dowe of Ormsby, Norfolk, who entered America on 11 April 1637. Earlier, a Jo. Doe travelled aboard the ship “Mathew of London” in 1635 under the authority of the Earl of Carlisle and King Charles I.
In contemporary times the surname is still common in the United States, especially in the northeastern states, but it is also found throughout Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. It should not be confused with commercial entities such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or Dow Chemical Company, whose names are unrelated to the family surname.
Related surnames that have descended from the same root or have evolved through dialectal variation include: Dowson, Dowd, Dowdy, Dowen, Dowler, Dowling and Dowdall.
Typical given names associated with the Dow surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- William
Female
- Alison
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Gillian
- Jacqueline
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Dow in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 5,076 people named Dow in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,859th most common surname in Britain. Around 78 in a million people in Britain are named Dow.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Dow
- Nancy Dow - Actress, memoirist (1936 to 2016)
- Andy Dow - Scottish football player
- Ryan Dow - Scottish football player
- Jonathan Dow - Actor
- Graham Dow - Bishop of Carlisle; Bishop of Willesden
- Hughie Dow - Football player (1906 to 1)
- Ewan Dow - Politician
- Sheila Dow - Economist
- John Dow - Scottish football player
- Thomas Millie Dow - Artist (1848 to 1919)
- William Dow - Canadian businessman (1800 to 1868)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.