Surname Rowe - Meaning and Origin
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read moreRowe: What does the surname Rowe mean?
The surname Rowe is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "raw," meaning "row." It initially came into use as an occupational name for a person who lived in a row of houses or worked at a row or hedgerow. It is also believed to have been used as a topographic surname for someone who lived by a hedgerow. In some cases, Rowe could be a geographical surname from places named Roe in France. Variations of this surname include Row, Roes, and Rhoades among others. As a result of migration, the surname Rowe and its variations can be found in several countries, however, it is predominantly seen in England. Like many surnames, direct interpretations can vary as names were often adapted and changed based on regions, dialects, occupations, and other individual and location-specific factors.
Order DNA origin analysisRowe: Where does the name Rowe come from?
The last name Rowe is most commonly found in the United States and Great Britain, but it is also present in Australia and Europe. In the United States, the Rowe surname is found in all states except Hawaii and can be found in 24 states in which it ranks as the 100th most common surname. In Great Britain, Rowe is a fairly common name, being the 122nd most common surname in England and Wales according to the Office for National Statistics for 2018. It is also present in Scotland and Northern Ireland, although it does not rank in the top 300 most common last names in those countries.
In Australia, the Rowe name is also quite common with it being the 79th most popular surname in the 2021 National Retail Data Monitor. It is especially popular in New South Wales and Victoria, where it ranks as the 48th and 67th most common names, respectively. In Europe, seeds of the Rowe name are found in Norway, Denmark, and Germany. In Norway, it is the 819th most common name, indicating that it is quite a popular name there. While Rowe is not a particularly common name in Denmark, it is still present and ranks as the 1455th most popular name. In Germany, Rowe ranks as the 492nd most common surname.
Variations of the surname Rowe
The surname Rowe is an anglicised form of the Welsh surname ap Rhys. It can be spelled as Rau, Ro, Row, and Rowe, as well as Rhy, Rice, Rees, Rea, Reece, Ruh, Rhue and Rae. In addition, Rowe can be spelt phonetically phonetically as Ro, and as Rawe.
The Rowe spelling has a long-standing tradition in England, with variations of the name first appearing in court records dating back to the 13th century. The name has Celtic origin, with the earliest reference to the surname being Henry ap Rees in 1287 in Gloucestershire. The Rowe variation derives from the Welsh root Ap Rhys, meaning "son of Rhys," or from the Welsh terms "hir," meaning long, and "dwr," meaning water.
The spelling of Rowe is common in the United States, typically of Irish and English origin, in comparison to the Rees, Reece, and Rhue variations being more popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Some other variations of the surname are gaining a degree of popularity in the United States, such as Rhue, Ruh and Ru.
Overall, the surname Rowe, along with its variants, can be found in most English-speaking countries, with variations in the spelling dependent on the nation in which it is found.
Famous people with the name Rowe
- Kevin Rowe: former professional American football player
- Gary Rowe: former FBI informant
- Chris Rowe: American businessman and CEO
- Laura Rowe: American television reporter
- Malcolm Rowe: Canadian jurist
- Tracey Rowe: Canadian Paralympic athlete
- Walter Rowe: former college basketball player
- Bill Rowe: American country musician
- Dan Rowe: professional hockey player
- Dominique Rowe: American vocalist
- Harry Rowe: former Major League Baseball player
- Joanne Rowe: former mayor of Westminster
- Kenneth Rowe: former British soldier
- Mike Rowe: American television host
- Terry Rowe: former Major League Baseball player
- Tracy Rowe: Canadian field hockey player
- William Rowe: former Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy
- Patrick Rowe: American film, TV and theater actor
- Kate Rowe: American record producer
- Colt Rowe: American football wide receiver