Contents [hide]

Row History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Row History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Row

What does the name Row mean?

The name Row is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a person with red hair. Looking back even further, we found the name was originally derived from the Old French nickname le rous, meaning redhead. 1 Further to the north in Scotland, the name has a different meaning, specifically "row, signifies a low, small, narrow peninsula." 2

Early Origins of the Row family

The surname Row was first found in Norfolk where Turchil le Roux was granted lands by King William after his attendance upon him at Hastings. His son Ralph the Red (Roux) went with King Henry to the Crusades and held the Castle of Pont-echanfre near Bernai in Vexin Normandy. He died in the wreck of the "Blanche Neuf" with the King's two sons and their estates became divided. 3

Peter Rowe (died c.1401) was an Irish jurist who held the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland intermittently between 1388 and 1397. Whilehe was born in Ireland, he is thought to have been born to a family which was of English origin, but which had long been settled in Ireland.

In Somerset, England "Leighland, in the parish of Old Cleeve, was the property of the Poyntz family. From them it descended to the Rowes, in the reign of William III. John Rowe, as I learn from the parish register of Arlington, married Ursula Chi chester, on 25th November, 1697, yet left no issue; but to him William Widdicombe, Esq., devised his estate of Bickham, adjoining. Robert Rowe, the nephew of the said John, married Prudence Chichester, 15th August, 1706, and had several children; one of them, Elizabeth, became the wife of John Needham, of Hilston, county Monmouth." 4

Early History of the Row family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Row research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1368, 1388, 1426, 1441, 1477, 1525, 1559, 1569, 1580, 1581, 1592, 1595, 1607, 1626, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1646, 1654, 1657, 1661, 1672, 1674, 1677, 1705, 1715, 1717, 1718, 1719, 1737, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Row History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Row Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Rowe, Roe, Row and others.

Early Notables of the Row family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Row or Rauf (fl. 1388) of Totnes, Devon, an English politician, Member of the Parliament of England for Totnes in February 1388
Sir Thomas Roe (c. 1581-1644), was an English diplomat, Chancellor of the Order of the Garter; Sir Thomas Rowe, Lord Mayor of London in 1559; Owen Rowe, (c. 1592-1661), was an English haberdasher in L...
John Row (1525-1580), was a Scottish reformer, "descended from a family supposed to have been of English origin." His third son, John Row (1569-1646), was historian of the kirk of Scotland and his sec...

Row Ranking

In the United States, the name Row is the 18,472^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Row family to Ireland

Some of the Row family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Row migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Row or a variant listed above:

Row Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Row, who landed in Virginia in 1623 6
Teague Row, who landed in Virginia in 1655 6
Avis Row, who settled in Virginia in 1663 along with Walter
Isaac Row, who landed in Maryland in 1665 6
Hugh Row, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Row Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Scipio Row, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 6
Joshua Row, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 6
Matthew Row, who landed in Virginia in 1714 6
James Row, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 6
Hans Jurch Row, who landed in New York in 1715-1716 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Row Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Row, who landed in America in 1820 6
John Row, who landed in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1845 6
Mr. J. Row, (b. 1827), aged 21, Cornish miner departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 29th May 1848 7
Frederick Row, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1863 6

Row migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Row Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John N. Row U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 8
Mr. William Row U.E. who settled in Digdeguash, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 8
Cpl. Frederick Row U.E., (Rowe) who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1786 he served in Butlers Rangers 8

Row Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Row, aged 19, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Catherine Row, aged 30, a dressmaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Martha Row, aged 22, a dressmaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Rebecca Row, aged 15, a dressmaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Miss J A Row, who arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862

Row migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Row Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Jeremiah Row, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Row Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Row, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Lady Mary Pelham" in 1836 10
John Row, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 11
Catherine Row, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Royal Admiral" in 1838 11
Thomas Row, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Florentia" in 1849 12
Thomas Row, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Florentia" 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Row migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Row Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Simon Row, aged 40, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tyne" in 1841
Susannah Row, aged 39, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tyne" in 1841
William Row, aged 20, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tyne" in 1841
George Row, aged 18, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tyne" in 1841
Samuel Row, aged 17, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tyne" in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Row (post 1700) +

Nicole Sue Row (b. 1991), American bassist and singer known for touring with Miley Cyrus
Jess Row (b. 1974), American short story writer
Volney R. Row, American Republican politician, Mayor of Portsmouth, Ohio, 1895-97; Defeated, 1897 13
Roy Row, American politician, Mayor of Batesville, Arkansas, 1959 13
Golden Franklin Row (b. 1884), American Republican politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Barbour County, 1953-54, 1957-58; Defeated, 1954 13
C. W. Row, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1916, 1924 13
William Bickford Row (1786-1865), English-born Newfoundland merchant, lawyer and politician
John Row (b. 1947), English storyteller and public speaker
Raman Subba Row CBE (1932-2024), English cricketer who was appointed CBE in the 1991 New Year Honours
Thomas Row (1786-1864), English hymn-writer from Hadleigh, Suffolk
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Row Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Innocens non timidus
Motto Translation: Innocent but not fearful.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Oliver, George, Collections Illustrating the History of the Catholic Religion in the Counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wilts, and Gloucester London: Charles Dolman, 61, New Bond Street, 1857. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY MARY PELHAM 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836LadyMaryPelham.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ROYAL ADMIRAL 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838RoyalAdmiral.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FLORENTIA 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Florentia.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html