LOWERY
Lowery is a surname found across the British Isles, in particular in northern England and Scotland. The name bears both Gaelic and Latin origins which have converged over the centuries to produce the form we recognise today.
From a Gaelic perspective the surname is a patronymic form of O Labhradha, meaning “descendant of Labhradha”. The personal name Labhradha itself is derived from the Gaelic word labhair, which translates as “to speak”. Thus the earliest bearers of the name were likely associated with an ancestor noted for eloquence or communicative skill.
An alternative etymological strand recognises the name as a diminutive of the personal name Lawrence, which in turn originates from the Latin Laurentus, itself taken from the place name Laurentium, “the city of laurels”, in Italy. Laurels are a universal symbol of victory, and the popularity of the Latin root contributed to the proliferation of the name and its many variants. The personal name was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, appearing in the Latin form Laurentius. The surname first entered the historical record in northern England in the early fourteenth century as Lowrie or Lowrey, before appearing in Scotland in the late fifteenth century.
The earliest confirmed spelling of the family name is that of Robert Lowri, dated 1332, in the “Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland” during the reign of King Edward I from 1327 to 1377. The name appears again in 1467 in the Register of Dunfermline in Scotland, where an individual identified as Lowry Smith is recorded. In 1497 a Gilbert Lowrie is documented in Coldingham, Scotland, underscoring the spread of the name in the lowland and border regions.
Later records illustrate the surname’s continued presence. One example is the marriage of James Lowery and Isabella Login on 12 September 1678 at St. Katherine by the Tower, London. Throughout history the surname has produced several variants, notably Lowrie and Lowrey, all of which share a common origin and are regarded as distinct branches of the same patronymic lineage.
Typical given names associated with the Lowery surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Angela
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Jean
- Joanne
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Sara
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
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 Lowery in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 3,287 people named Lowery in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,761st most common surname in Britain. Around 50 in a million people in Britain are named Lowery.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Lowery
- David Lowery - Football player
- Tony Lowery - Football player and manager
- Jerry Lowery - Football player (1924 to 2007)
- Robert Lowery - Canoeist
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.