Surname Stowers - Meaning and Origin

Revealing Identity Through Ancestral Footprints: A DNA Dive into the Stowers Surname History

Ogling at the remarkable past and establishing a connection with numerous generations before me, an iGENEA DNA test brought my family history to life. The revelation of the lineage, origins, and history of my surname, Stowers, traced back to the Viking era and the Norman conquest of England, unraveled a riveting saga of trials and triumphs that my ancestors have lived through!

K. Stowers

Stowers: What does the surname Stowers mean?

The surname Stowers is of English origin and has occupational roots. It is derived from the Middle English term "stower," which means a post or a column. Thus, it was typically given to those who made posts, columns, or large beams used in construction work. This indicates that the initial bearers of the surname were workers engaged in such a craft. The name could also have topographic origins, given to those who lived by notable columns or posts. Therefore, the Stowers surname is a classic example of many old English names which were gradually adopted as hereditary surnames, following an individual’s occupation or geographical location. Like many surnames, over the centuries, variations in the spelling have arisen including Stower, Stowher, Stowar, and Stowgar.

Stowers: Where does the name Stowers come from?

The last name Stowers is most commonly found in English-speaking countries today, especially in the United States of America. According to the United States Census Bureau's 2018 population estimate, approximately 10,578 people in the United States are named Stowers.

The Stowers name likely originated in 19th century England. In this time frame, a common practice was to change a surname to differentiate between two families bearing the same name. The likely origin of the name Stowers is the original family name, Towers.

England is the most common place today to find people with the Stowers surname. However, due to the wide-spread mobility of people in the 21st century, the name can be encountered anywhere in the world, although it will likely be in a minority population.

In America, the prevalence of the surname Stowers is highest in West Virginia and Maryland. Following those states, in order, are Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Beyond the United States, the surname is particularly common in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales.

Today, it is uncommon to find multiple Stowers families living near each other. However, due to the presence of the internet, multiple living Stowers family members have begun to find each other and form networks of long-lost relatives.

Variations of the surname Stowers

The surname Stowers has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.

Stowers is an English surname meaning “one who works in a straw stack,” and there are many variants and alternate spellings of the name. These include Stawers, Stawas, Stawser, Stawer, Stawas, Stowas, Stowser, Stower, and Stowar.

In addition, there are several other surnames with the same origin as Stowers, such as Stouer, Stowree, Stout, Stuter, Stauter, and Stautz. This suggests that the Stowers family likely has its roots in areas of Scandinavia and Germany, where surnames and other forms of names were often formed by combining prefixes and suffixes.

The Stowers family can also be traced back to other European nations, such as Wales and France, where nicknames and dialectal variations of the original surname Stower were given.

In the United States, the Stowers name was likely introduced by early settlers of English descent. Thus, variants of the Stower surname found in English speaking countries include Storer, Storar, Storely, Storelye, Storelee, Storey, Storeyn, Stooker, and Stookie.

Famous people with the name Stowers

• King Stowers: American mixed martial artist who is known for being the winner of the Eldorado Fighting Championship.
• Chris Stowers: American model, designer, and television personality, most famous for appearing on the MTV reality series The Hills.
• Lindsey Stowers: American television personality and model, who was on season 8 of the popular reality show, The Bachelor.
• G. Bruce Stowers: American business leader and non-profit executive, known for his tenure as the COO of the Alliance for Children & Families.
• Hillary Stowers: American fashion model, most notably appearing in the pages of Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar.
• Bryan Stowers: American former professional basketball player.
• Zebulon Stowers: Revolutionary War soldier and member of the cultures of the Catawba Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Lumbee Tribe.
• Elizabeth Stowers: Grammy-nominated jazz singer and member of the Grammy-winning New Orleans jazz band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
• Aaron Stowers: Professional surfer and reality TV star, appearing on the popular show, Bondi Rescue.
• Joe Stowers: Professional skateboarder, noted for his accomplishments at the X Games, and for his affiliation with the DC Shoes brand.

Other surnames

StoweStowellStöwenerStowerStöwerStowermann