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Rowe Family History

Rowe Name Meaning

English: from Middle English rowe (Old English rāw) ‘row’. The surname may be topographic for someone who lived by a hedgerow or in a row of houses in a street or habitational for someone who lived in a place so named. Compare Rawe and Rew . English (of Norman origin): variant of Rolfe Ralph or Rough . Compare Rowson . East German: habitational name from any of the places called Rowe Rowa Rowe(n). Compare Rowen .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Rose, Rode, Howe, Roe, Rock, Bow, Rohe, Roche, Rowen, Roch

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Rowe family from?

You can see how Rowe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Rowe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Rowe families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 931 Rowe families living in Ontario. This was about 65% of all the recorded Rowe's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Rowe families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Rowe surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Rowe ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Rowe. 37% of Rowe men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Rowe women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Rowe were Carpenter and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Rowe | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    37%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Income
    10%
  • Teacher
    9%
  • Clerk
    7%
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What Rowe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 655,000 census records available for the last name Rowe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Rowe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Rowe

Passenger Lists

There are 71,000 immigration records available for the last name Rowe. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Rowe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 86,000 military records available for the last name Rowe. For the veterans among your Rowe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Rowe military records

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What is the average Rowe lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Rowe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Rowe in 1941 was 25, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Rowe

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