Origins of surname
Several origins are suggested for this surname, but we find only the follow two to be believable. It may have simply been given to a short man, from the old English lah = 'low, or short'; it may also come from another old English word hlaw, meaning hill, or burial mound, suggesting someone who lived near one of these features.
Early records
The first appearance of this surname in Jersey records was the marriage of John Low and Elizabeth Villeneuve in St Brelade in 1798. Their first child, Alexandre, was baptised the following year, and they went on to have another 12 children baptised in the parish.
The variant Lowe made a much earlier appearance with the baptism of Ella, daughter of Robert Lowe and Judith Bichard in St Ouen in 1713, but it was 99 years before the name again appeared in an island church register
Variations
- Low
- Lowe
Family records
Church records
- Low baptisms in Jersey
- Low marriages in Jersey (groom)
- Low marriages in Jersey (bride)
- Low burials in Jersey
Family trees
No Jersey trees for Low or Lowe, with more than one generation in the island have been found. Beware of online trees for Lowe which mix Jersey-born children into other families. The owners of these trees have been advised of their mistakes but have not corrected them
Great War service
- Charles Frederick Victor Low (St H) Private, Worcester Regiment, no Jersey records found
- Constance Low, British Red Cross, no Jersey records found
Notes on our list, abbreviations used etc
Occupation records
Family wills
These wills created by members of the Low family are now held by Jersey Archive. By visiting the archive site and using the names, dates and reference numbers shown here, it is possible to view a copy of each will. You will have to subscribe to the Archive's online service to do this. To find out more about this collection, which covers the period from 1663 to 1980, and how to search for your family's wills there, visit our Jersey wills page
- George Low 31 August 1844 - D/Y/A/25
- James Lowe, Captain in HM Third Royal Veteran Battalion, stationed in Jersey 24 May 1817 - D/Y/A/18
Burial records
Family album
Election
Family gravestones
Click on any image to see a larger version. See the Jerripedia gravestone image collection page for more information about our gravestone photographs