The Towers surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,392 people carried this name — #7,565 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 67,100 people counted. That is up 3% from 4,248 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Towers was counted together with Tower: 77 families in all.

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

Towers in American newspapers,
1897–1909.

Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Towers
The Birmingham Age-herald 1904-12-16
Newspaper page from The Age-herald carrying the name Towers
The Age-herald 1897-10-08
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Towers
The Salt Lake Herald 1909-03-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,197 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Towers in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

19,418 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Towers. The most, 2,536, date from the 1880s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,753
Victoria 4,407
Queensland 3,261
South Australia 2,286
Tasmania 1,480
Western Australia 1,132
ACT (Canberra) 43
Northern Territory 28

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

Who carried it

People named Towers,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James S. Towers
    James S. Towers 1859–1926 · politician
  • William H. Towers d. 1959 · politician
  • Robert Towers d. 1847 · naval officer
  • Mary Towers d. 1681
  • Simon Towers d. 1740
  • Janet Chisholm 1483–1547

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Towers,
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 States565 records

565 records of the Towers name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 160
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 127
  • Other U.S. records 278
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ellison L. Towers

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Upton Yaphank; machine shop worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Pineview Crematorium, Glens Falls, New York.

    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 Elizabeth Towers

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool, aged 30; nurse. From Maidenhead, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record James D. Towers

    U.S. Navy veteran. Born 1939, died 1982; buried at Wood National Cemetery, Wisconsin.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 565 records for Towers 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) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia504 records

504 records of the Towers name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 218
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 99
  • Other Australian records 187
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Towers

    Died 1922 in Guildford Junction, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1922.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 George Towers

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Princess Royal, arriving 1823; ticket of leave 1829. Native of Sunderland.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1854 aboard the James Carson, aged 7; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 504 records for Towers in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

Canada55 records

55 records of the Towers name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 17
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Other Canadian records 25
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Anne Towers

    Buried in 1993 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 86.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Norman Towers

    Died 1945 in New Glasgow, Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  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 Albert Towers

    Died in service in 1922.

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

Showing 3 of 55 records for Towers in Canada.

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

United Kingdom42 records

42 records of the Towers name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • Stirling Council burial records 10
  • Other British records 9
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Duncan Towers

    Died 1937, aged 49; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. 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 Ann Towers

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 67.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Towers

    Died 1916. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 42 records for Towers in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Towers name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Towers

    Buried in 1897 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 21.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Towers

    Died 1939, aged 82; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Clarice Louisa Towers

    Buried in 1909 at Tararu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 23.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Towers in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · 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).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Towers name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 5
  • Dutch population registers 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jean Towers

    Married in 1717 in Rotterdam; born in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Arabella Louisa Towers

    In the population register of England; born 1840 in England.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Towers

    Married in 1696 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Towers in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Towers.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Towers 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 Towers volume
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