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The Name "Richard"

Richard has it’s roots in Germany, with the elements richa, meaning “rule” and heard, meaning “hard”.  Apparently the Anglo-Saxons combined the elements into the name.  The popularity of this name came from the Norman’s, who used it often.  Three English kings bore the name Richard.

In Elizabethan England, Richard was in fourth place among most often used names (John, William and Thomas typically held the other three places).  By the 1600’s, the name fell to tenth place.  It is believed that the name Richard lost out to enthusiasm for Biblical names.

Between the years 1890-1900, a change took place in naming.  Richard began to appear among the top ten, and even went as high as fifth.  By 1950 it showed up as high as third.

Ben Franklin used the name in his “Poor Richard’s Almanac”.  Few prominent American’s have borne the name, however.

Famous Richards include Richard M. Nixon, former president of the United States and Richard Ewell, a Confederate general.

The Name "Lowe"

Lowe is an English name, with three distinct meanings.  In Old English, it designated someone who lived near a hill, generally a burial mound of some sort.  In Middle England, it was a nickname for a short man.  Finally, in Anglo-Norman French, it was a nickname for a crafty and dangerous person.

Lowe has been spelled Low and Law.  As far as I can tell, our family has spelled it Lowe since its arrival in North America.

Famous Lowe’s include Thaddeus Sabieski Lowe (1832-1913), who was an inventor, meteorologist and inventor.  He was most famous for pioneering the use of balloons for artillery observation in the American Civil War.  Peter Lowe (1559-1610) was a Scottish physician who helped organize the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.  Finally, Sir Hudson Lowe (1769-1844) was the British general governing St. Helena who Napoleon I was held captive there.

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