STOW
Stow
Stow is a surname of English origin that is believed to be locational, derived from various places called Stow or Stowe in England. The name is a toponymic surname, indicating that the original bearers of the surname hailed from a place by this name.
Origins
Several places in England are named Stow, which means "a place" or "assembly" in Old English. Examples include Stow in Lincolnshire, Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire, and Stowmarket in Suffolk. People living near these locations may have adopted Stow as an identifier of their geographic origins.
Distribution and Frequency
The surname Stow has a scattered distribution across the United Kingdom, with concentrations in counties such as Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex. Records show that Stow is a relatively uncommon surname, with a frequency ranking of 8,733 in the UK.
Notable Bearers
Famous individuals who have borne the surname Stow include:
- Elizabeth Stow (1763–1834) – An English author known for her contributions to early feminist literature.
- Anna Stow (1854–1928) – A British suffragist who campaigned tirelessly for women's right to vote in the early 20th century.
- Jonathan Stow (b. 1975) – A modern-day British actor known for his roles in popular television dramas.
Variants
Variants of the surname Stow include Stowe and Stowes. These variations may have arisen from phonetic spelling adaptations over time or regional dialectal differences.
In conclusion, the surname Stow is a venerable English surname that reflects the ancestral ties of its bearers to various places called Stow in Britain. With a rich history and notable individuals carrying the name, Stow continues to be a distinctive surname in the British Isles.
There are approximately 1,964 people named Stow in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,266th most common surname in Britain. Around 30 in a million people in Britain are named Stow.
Typical given names associated with the surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Barbara
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Hilary
- Janet
- Julie
- Laura
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan