The Tower surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,486 people carried this name — #7,421 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 65,800 people counted. That is up 2% from 4,392 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Tower surname

A habitational surname.; Alternative form of Towers.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Tower» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of the tower’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Gilbert le Tower, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 760 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

77 families named Tower, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 424 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Tower, Towers. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 45
Maryland 7
Vermont 5
New York 5
Pennsylvania 4
New Hampshire 3
Rhode Island 3
Virginia 2
Maine 1
Connecticut 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 265 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Tower in American newspapers,
1892–1916.

Newspaper page from Ellsworth American carrying the name Tower
Ellsworth American 1916-07-05
Newspaper page from The Ekalaka Eagle carrying the name Tower
The Ekalaka Eagle 1916-01-28
Newspaper page from St. Landry Democrat carrying the name Tower
St. Landry Democrat 1892-10-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Tower in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

8,313 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Tower. The most, 2,351, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,405
New South Wales 1,940
Victoria 1,804
Western Australia 1,044
South Australia 699
Tasmania 336
ACT (Canberra) 67
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Tower.

Who carried it

People named Tower,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Averil Frances Tower d. 1969
  • Katherine Emma Tower d. 1907
  • Laura Tower d. 1844
  • Mabel Tower d. 1940
  • Peter Tower d. 1996
  • Penelope Tower d. 1975

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Tower,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States656 records

656 records of the Tower name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 173
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 164
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 103
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 70
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 61
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 60
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 24
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Douglas K. Tower

    Born 1904 in Oregon. Enlisted 1941 at Los Angeles, California; salesperson. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Tower

    Arrived at New York in 1866 aboard the John Bright from Liverpool, aged 24; servant. From Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Kenneth Keith Tower

    Born 1949; from Mendota, Illinois. U.S. Army, carpentry and masonry specialist; died in an accident 1968 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 656 records for Tower in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Canada224 records

224 records of the Tower name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 213
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 6
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record William H. Tower

    Killed in 1956 at the Springhill No. 4 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Hazel A. Tower

    Buried in 1927 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Leonard Bruce Tower

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 224 records for Tower in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia74 records

74 records of the Tower name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 61
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 4
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 2
  • Canberra cemetery and marriage records 1
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Rose Tower

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Caroline, arriving 1833; certificate of freedom 1839.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Tower

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Prince Albert, aged 27; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edward J. H. Tower

    Farmer of Langwarrin, Victoria; died 1914.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 74 records for Tower in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands13 records

13 records of the Tower name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 10
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Catharina Tower

    Died 1914 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 72.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marij Tower

    Died 1889 in Utrecht, aged 56.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Mary Tower

    In the population register of Utrecht; born in Ternate O.i.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Tower in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Tower name in the United Kingdom St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Tower

    Buried in 1846 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 69.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Esther Tower

    Buried in 1812 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 32.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 2 of 3 records for Tower in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Tower name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Tower

    Died 1986; buried at Yaldhurst Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Tower.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Tower is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Tower volume
Scroll to Top