Contents [hide]

Lowrie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Lowrie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Early Origins of the Lowrie family

The surname Lowrie was first found in Dumfriesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Dhùn Phris), a Southern area, bordering on England that today forms part of the Dumfries and Galloway Council Area. "Laurieston in the parish of Balmaghie, stewartry of Kirkcudbright takes its name from William Kennedy Laurie, Esq., proprietor of the lands on which it is built, near Lochinbren, a sheet of water abounding with trout. " 1

There are two other places named Laurieston in Scotland: an ecclesiastical district, within the jurisdiction of the city of Glasgow; and in the parish of Falkirk, county of Stirlinge village. Of the former, we can find no notes about the origin; of the latter, it was derived from "the name of Laurencetoun, of which its present appellation is a contraction." 1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Lawrence.' In the Lowlands and on the Borders, popularly Lowrie or Laurie, whence the many North English and Scottish variations of this name. " 2

"The name has been also explained, with still less probability; as from Scots lowrie, 'foxy'. The name of Gavin Lawrie, governor of New Jersey during the colonial period, is spelled in a letter quoted in The Haigs of Bemersyde as Lowry.' 3

"Hence 'Lowrie-like,' having the crafty look of a fox. The full name Lawrence was also applied to the fox, proving that Lowry and Lawry are the true offspring of the name." 2

Early History of the Lowrie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lowrie research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1640, 1653, 1669, 1671, 1677, 1683, 1686, 1687, 1755, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1779, 1820, 1827, 1836, 1839, 1861 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lowrie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowrie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lawrie, Laurie, Larrie, Larry, Laurie, Laury, Lawry, Lowrie and many more.

Early Notables of the Lowrie family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Gawen Lawrie (died 1687), English-born of Scottish ancestry, American politician. He was 2nd Deputy Governor of East New Jersey (1683-1686). Robert Laurie (died 1677), was a Church of...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lowrie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowrie Ranking

In the United States, the name Lowrie is the 10,467^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Lowrie family to Ireland

Some of the Lowrie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lowrie migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lowrie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander Lowrie, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1774
Walter Lowrie, who landed in America in 1792 5

Lowrie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Lowrie, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 5
Alexander Lowrie, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1839 5
J Lowrie, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5

Lowrie migration to Australia +

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

Lowrie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Lowrie, British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Robert Lowrie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
James Lowrie, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on August 08, 1849, settling in Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia 8
Ann Lowrie, aged 38, a laundress, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Switzerland"
David Lowrie, aged 36, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1860 aboard the ship "Schah Jehan"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lowrie 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:

Lowrie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Joseph Lowrie, aged 15, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Phillip Lowrie, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oliver Lang" in 1858
Mr. Joseph Lowrie, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd September 1860 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Lowrie (post 1700) +

John Patrick Lowrie (b. 1952), American voice actor, best known for voicing the Sniper in Team Fortress 2 and various characters in Dota 2
Walter Lowrie (1784-1868), American politician, US Senator from Pennsylvania
Matthew B. Lowrie (1773-1850), American politician, Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Henry Berry Lowrie (1844-1872), American outlaw from Robeson County, North Carolina; he led the Lowry Gang in North Carolina during and after the American Civil War
Jed Lowrie (b. 1984), American Major League Baseball infielder for the Boston Red Sox
Donald Lowrie (d. 1925), American newspaper writer, best remembered four his book "My Life in Prison"
Colin Philip Lowrie (1936-2025), English stage and television actor, best known for his role as Dennis Tanner in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from its inception in 1960 until 1968 and again from 2011 until 2014
Jason Lowrie (b. 1970), New Zealand rugby league footballer
George Lowrie (1919-1989), Welsh footballer who played as a centre forward for several clubs including Coventry City and Newcastle United
William Lowrie (1857-1933), Australian agricultural educationist
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Lowrie 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: Repullulat
Motto Translation: It buds afresh.

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Port Phillip, Australia in 1849 with 303 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1849
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html