Surname Low - Meaning and Origin
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read moreLow: What does the surname Low mean?
The last name Low is of English and Scottish origin, derived from the Old English term 'hlaw’, which means 'hill' or 'mound'. Therefore, it is a topographic surname given to individuals who lived near a prominent hill, mound, or burial ground. It is an example of the surname deriving from geographical locations or topographic features. This surname evolved over centuries and experienced various spellings like ‘Lawe’, ‘Lowe’, 'Law' or 'Lawes' across different regions. It's worth noting that the meaning of a surname can differ based on its historical, cultural, and geographic context. In some parts of Germany, for instance, 'Low' or 'Lowe' might derive from 'Löwe', meaning 'lion'. In Chinese cultures, the surname Low or 'Luo', comes from the name of an ancient state during the Zhou dynasty in what is now Henan province.
Order DNA origin analysisLow: Where does the name Low come from?
The surname Low has multiple origins. It first emerged in Scotland as a topographic name for people living near a mound or a hill derived from the Old English word "hlaw". It is also common in Germany, where it originated as a pet form of the name Lawrence. In Southeast Asia, predominantly in China, the surname Low (or Lew or Liu in Mandarin) is of Cantonic origin, meaning "dragon".
Today, it is relatively common in countries that saw a significant number of immigrants from Scotland, Germany, and China, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The surname is notably prevalent among Chinese communities worldwide due to emigration, especially in Malaysia and Singapore, where it is typically romanized as Low.
Variations of the surname Low
The surname Low has multiple variants, spellings and surnails of the same origin. Some of these include Lowe, Lowes, Lows, Lowis, Loewe, Loew, Loewen, and Lowen. The name Low may also possibly be a variant of the surname "Levy", often Anglicized as Loewe.
The surname Low is common in various cultures and regions, resulting in various interpretations. In Germany and the Netherlands, for instance, the surname "Lowe" is derived from the Middle High German and Dutch word for "lion". It's also an Anglicized form of the Scottish surname "Law" or as a topographic name for someone who lived near a hill or a burial mound.
In Chinese, the surname “Luo” (罗) is sometimes Anglicized as Lowe, Low, or Lo due to the phonetic similarities.
Each spelling variant hence carries its own unique history and geographical distribution, but all of them share the similar basic root and pronunciation as the surname "Low".
Famous people with the name Low
- Koh Boon Hwee: Former Chairman of DBS Group
- Bo Low: Former Melbourne Lord Mayor
- Ken Low: Singaporean actor
- Gary Low: Singer and former member of the 1970s band Fox
- Lily Low: Singaporean actress
- Edward Low: Scottish pirate in the 17th century
- Tan Sri Low Yat: founder of Malaysia's Low Yat Group
- Allan Low: New Zealand television presenter and actor
- Ralph Low: German dancer and television presenter
- Michael Low: Singaporean singer
- Claude Low: Chinese-Canadian artist
- Brian Low: Singaporean actor
- William Buick Low: Chinese-American businessman
- Russell Low: Civil Servant and legislator of Queensland
- Janice Low: Singaporean actress
- Tony Low: Hong Kong cinematographer
- Evan Low: American politician
- Brian Low: Singaporean actor
- Ngar-cheung Low: Hong Kong Taiwanese sculptor
- Justin Low: Malaysian visual artist