Sow Surname
Approximately 1,076,990 people bear this surname
Sow Surname User-submission:
Sow is a major surname of Fula (Peul/Fulani) origin. It represents one of the four primary 'caste' lineages of the Fula people, the other three being Diallo, Barry, and Ba. Historically, the Sow clan is associated with the traditional occupation of cattle herding and pastoralism, which is central to Fula identity.
Read More About This SurnameSow Surname Distribution Map
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 561,400 | 1:26 | 5 |
| Guinea | 291,124 | 1:41 | 9 |
| Mauritania | 89,237 | 1:46 | 3 |
| Mali | 81,378 | 1:209 | 39 |
| Burkina Faso | 14,013 | 1:1,310 | 197 |
| Sierra Leone | 9,341 | 1:759 | 145 |
| France | 6,924 | 1:9,593 | 905 |
| Spain | 2,435 | 1:19,200 | 2,123 |
| Morocco | 2,283 | 1:15,101 | 2,246 |
| Malaysia | 2,013 | 1:14,652 | 1,489 |
| Gambia | 1,911 | 1:1,007 | 150 |
| Ivory Coast | 1,885 | 1:12,239 | 997 |
| United States | 1,712 | 1:211,717 | 20,690 |
| India | 1,682 | 1:456,044 | 23,488 |
| Togo | 1,680 | 1:4,314 | 763 |
| Belgium | 1,148 | 1:10,014 | 1,436 |
| Chad | 1,059 | 1:12,835 | 1,627 |
| Ghana | 831 | 1:32,516 | 3,831 |
| Gabon | 808 | 1:2,338 | 404 |
| Liberia | 765 | 1:5,763 | 699 |
| Congo | 499 | 1:9,998 | 1,372 |
| Canada | 342 | 1:107,736 | 11,580 |
| Egypt | 336 | 1:273,618 | 18,414 |
| Singapore | 291 | 1:18,927 | 769 |
| England | 188 | 1:296,373 | 22,665 |
| Saudi Arabia | 159 | 1:194,062 | 29,524 |
| Brazil | 144 | 1:1,486,627 | 49,780 |
| Papua New Guinea | 98 | 1:83,201 | 11,009 |
| Portugal | 85 | 1:122,568 | 5,627 |
| Netherlands | 84 | 1:201,038 | 27,835 |
| Italy | 83 | 1:736,828 | 61,221 |
| Germany | 75 | 1:1,073,406 | 72,288 |
| Switzerland | 68 | 1:120,778 | 12,249 |
| South Africa | 66 | 1:820,874 | 55,153 |
| Thailand | 59 | 1:1,197,260 | 174,557 |
| Cameroon | 53 | 1:391,869 | 33,952 |
| Indonesia | 50 | 1:2,644,984 | 153,918 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 49 | 1:35,266 | 58 |
| Sweden | 38 | 1:259,125 | 17,909 |
| Nigeria | 37 | 1:4,787,642 | 126,894 |
| Angola | 36 | 1:749,700 | 2,649 |
| Australia | 33 | 1:818,052 | 51,601 |
| Benin | 32 | 1:322,988 | 25,835 |
| Kuwait | 29 | 1:131,058 | 14,967 |
| Iraq | 26 | 1:1,346,987 | 15,017 |
| Sudan | 25 | 1:1,500,408 | 3,610 |
| China | 24 | 1:56,971,732 | 3,099 |
| Greece | 24 | 1:461,658 | 59,466 |
| Palestine | 24 | 1:189,535 | 9,079 |
| Niger | 23 | 1:834,436 | 19,133 |
| Luxembourg | 22 | 1:26,388 | 4,799 |
| DR Congo | 21 | 1:3,518,075 | 145,665 |
| Austria | 20 | 1:425,772 | 43,235 |
| Philippines | 19 | 1:5,328,328 | 173,877 |
| Norway | 18 | 1:285,683 | 29,080 |
| Tunisia | 16 | 1:38,164 | 5,464 |
| Ireland | 15 | 1:313,929 | 10,911 |
| United Arab Emirates | 10 | 1:916,227 | 36,116 |
| Central African Republic | 9 | 1:501,710 | 179 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 9 | 1:126,186 | 322 |
| Pakistan | 8 | 1:22,330,486 | 77,733 |
| Israel | 7 | 1:1,222,519 | 68,299 |
| Qatar | 6 | 1:393,000 | 55,922 |
| Czechia | 5 | 1:2,126,694 | 115,412 |
| Finland | 5 | 1:1,099,340 | 45,512 |
| Lithuania | 5 | 1:606,918 | 21,375 |
| Monaco | 5 | 1:7,413 | 1,114 |
| Wales | 5 | 1:618,906 | 25,852 |
| Hong Kong | 4 | 1:1,833,871 | 6,220 |
| Iceland | 4 | 1:95,022 | 4,787 |
| Mauritius | 4 | 1:323,354 | 10,053 |
| Mexico | 4 | 1:31,031,551 | 63,627 |
| Northern Cyprus | 4 | 1:79,753 | 8,764 |
| Rwanda | 4 | 1:2,841,244 | 3,611 |
| Taiwan | 4 | 1:5,861,186 | 33,577 |
| Tanzania | 4 | 1:13,235,403 | 84,310 |
| Algeria | 3 | 1:12,877,184 | 84,902 |
| Cape Verde | 3 | 1:176,547 | 4,737 |
| Haiti | 3 | 1:3,561,302 | 20,668 |
| Lebanon | 2 | 1:2,818,542 | 25,087 |
| Poland | 2 | 1:19,004,374 | 199,659 |
| Argentina | 1 | 1:42,743,414 | 282,706 |
| Bahrain | 1 | 1:1,348,608 | 10,432 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 1:3,536,402 | 19,532 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1:6,978,905 | 86,260 |
| Burundi | 1 | 1:9,804,852 | 2,349 |
| Chile | 1 | 1:17,616,474 | 93,597 |
| Croatia | 1 | 1:4,228,604 | 99,289 |
| Denmark | 1 | 1:5,644,715 | 93,155 |
| Djibouti | 1 | 1:914,932 | 1,612 |
| French Polynesia | 1 | 1:280,805 | 7,211 |
| Guyana | 1 | 1:762,221 | 14,420 |
| Iran | 1 | 1:76,782,524 | 277,718 |
| Jamaica | 1 | 1:2,869,947 | 13,896 |
| Japan | 1 | 1:127,844,293 | 73,547 |
| Kenya | 1 | 1:46,179,900 | 103,372 |
| Malawi | 1 | 1:17,119,109 | 34,144 |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1:2,825,289 | 17,010 |
| Mozambique | 1 | 1:27,261,569 | 7,432 |
| New Caledonia | 1 | 1:276,223 | 10,363 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 1:4,528,323 | 55,372 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 1:3,550,139 | 9,109 |
| Romania | 1 | 1:20,077,870 | 89,414 |
| Russia | 1 | 1:144,123,056 | 881,408 |
| Scotland | 1 | 1:5,353,817 | 63,002 |
| Serbia | 1 | 1:7,144,948 | 38,459 |
| South Korea | 1 | 1:51,240,256 | 8,015 |
| Syria | 1 | 1:19,301,022 | 22,457 |
| Turkey | 1 | 1:77,821,422 | 191,047 |
| Uganda | 1 | 1:39,039,279 | 258,887 |
| Venezuela | 1 | 1:30,204,077 | 85,459 |
| Zambia | 1 | 1:15,849,922 | 53,989 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 15 | 1:1,625,025 | 53,310 |
| Place | Incidence | Frequency | Rank in Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 89 | 1:564,255 | 38,527 |
The alternate forms: Şow (1) are calculated separately.
Sow (15,703) may also be a first name.
Sow Surname Meaning
User-submitted Reference
Sow is a major surname of Fula (Peul/Fulani) origin. It represents one of the four primary 'caste' lineages of the Fula people, the other three being Diallo, Barry, and Ba. Historically, the Sow clan is associated with the traditional occupation of cattle herding and pastoralism, which is central to Fula identity. In the complex joking relationship system (sanankuya) of West Africa, bearers of the name Sow often have a traditional, playful rivalry with the Barry clan. While originally a Fula name, it has been assimilated into Wolof society over centuries of migration and intermarriage.
- jakep2Sow Demographics
Average Male Sow Height
176.8 cm
Sample is predominantly from Anglosphere countries
Sow Last Name Facts
Where Does The Last Name Sow Come From? nationality or country of origin
Sow (Arabic: صو, Hassaniya-Arabic: ﺻﻮ, Tibetan: སོའོ་) is held by more people in Senegal than any other country or territory. It may also appear as a variant: Şow. For other possible spellings of Sow click here.
How Common Is The Last Name Sow? popularity and diffusion
This surname is the 493rd most common last name globally, held by around 1 in 6,767 people. The last name occurs mostly in Africa, where 98 percent of Sow reside; 98 percent reside in West Africa and 61 percent reside in Senegambia Africa. It is also the 44,970th most frequently used forename in the world It is held by 15,703 people.
The surname is most commonly held in Senegal, where it is borne by 561,400 people, or 1 in 26. In Senegal Sow is mostly concentrated in: Louga Region, where 19 percent live, Dakar Region, where 17 percent live and Saint Louis Region, where 16 percent live. Not including Senegal this last name exists in 111 countries. It is also common in Guinea, where 27 percent live and Mauritania, where 8 percent live.
Sow Family Population Trend historical fluctuation
The prevalency of Sow has changed over time. In The United States the number of people bearing the Sow last name increased 1,924 percent between 1880 and 2014 and in England it increased 1,253 percent between 1881 and 2014.
Sow Last Name Statistics demography
In The United States those holding the Sow surname are 34.9% more likely to be registered Democrats than the national average, with 88.13% registered to vote for the party.
The amount Sow earn in different countries varies greatly. In Italy they earn 91.25% less than the national average, earning €2,627 per year; in Norway they earn 10.83% less than the national average, earning 308,595 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 43.46% less than the national average, earning R 134,352 per year; in United States they earn 21.14% less than the national average, earning $34,026 USD per year and in Canada they earn 25.62% less than the national average, earning $36,952 CAD per year.
Phonetically Similar Names
| Surname | Similarity | Worldwide Incidence | Prevalency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Şow | 89 | 1 | / |
| Sowa | 86 | 51,600 | / |
| Show | 86 | 37,416 | / |
| Sowe | 86 | 35,137 | / |
| Siow | 86 | 10,640 | / |
| Souw | 86 | 546 | / |
| Soow | 86 | 71 | / |
| Sowh | 86 | 9 | / |
| Sohw | 86 | 9 | / |
| Soew | 86 | 7 | / |
| Sowf | 86 | 6 | / |
| Sowz | 86 | 4 | / |
| Ssow | 86 | 3 | / |
| Xsow | 86 | 2 | / |
| Soiw | 86 | 2 | / |
| Soww | 86 | 2 | / |
| Sosw | 86 | 2 | / |
| Sowp | 86 | 2 | / |
| Sgow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Sxow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Szow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Suow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Soyw | 86 | 1 | / |
| Sjow | 86 | 1 | / |
| Sowt | 86 | 1 | / |
| Schow | 75 | 1,973 | / |
| Showa | 75 | 1,006 | / |
| Showe | 75 | 460 | / |
| Sjouw | 75 | 138 | / |
| Shouw | 75 | 49 | / |
| Souwe | 75 | 47 | / |
| Szowa | 75 | 23 | / |
| Soowe | 75 | 15 | / |
| Sowhe | 75 | 4 | / |
| Shoow | 75 | 3 | / |
| Soiwe | 75 | 3 | / |
| Siowe | 75 | 2 | / |
| Hsiow | 75 | 1 | / |
| Showw | 75 | 1 | / |
| Sshow | 75 | 1 | / |
| Shhow | 75 | 1 | / |
| Showp | 75 | 1 | / |
| Showf | 75 | 1 | / |
| Sohws | 75 | 0 | / |
| Showt | 75 | 0 | / |
| Scouw | 75 | 0 | / |
| Shoew | 75 | 0 | / |
| Showz | 75 | 0 | / |
| Saw | 67 | 963,661 | / |
| Jow | 67 | 2,808 | / |
| Sob | 67 | 2,642 | / |
| Schouw | 67 | 1,678 | / |
| Sof | 67 | 1,102 | / |
| Sov | 67 | 332 | / |
| Suw | 67 | 200 | / |
| Zow | 67 | 125 | / |
| Schoew | 67 | 84 | / |
| Sawowa | 67 | 26 | / |
| Showhe | 67 | 17 | / |
| Shohwe | 67 | 11 | / |
| Sowová | 67 | 11 | / |
| Schows | 67 | 6 | / |
| Xow | 67 | 5 | / |
| Subowa | 67 | 4 | / |
| Soohwe | 67 | 3 | / |
| Sofowa | 67 | 3 | / |
| Soijwe | 67 | 2 | / |
| Safowa | 67 | 2 | / |
| Shssow | 67 | 0 | / |
| Showfe | 67 | 0 | / |
| Schoww | 67 | 0 | / |
Sow Name Transliterations
| Transliteration | ICU Latin | Percentage of Incidence |
|---|---|---|
| Sow in the Tibetan language | ||
| སོའོ་ | soo | - |
| Sow in the Hassaniya-Arabic language | ||
| ﺻﻮ | sw | 98.62 |
| ﺻﻮﻩ | swh | 1.19 |
| ﺻﺎﻭ | saw | 0.08 |
| ﺳﻮ | sw | 0.05 |
| ﺳﻮﻩ | swh | 0.01 |
| ﺻﻮﺍ | swa | 0 |
| ﻳﻮﺭﻭ | ywrw | 0 |
| ﺍﺻﻮ | asw | 0 |
| ﻣﻮ | mw | 0 |
| ﺁﻣﺪﻭ | amdw | 0 |
| ﺳﺎﻭ | saw | 0 |
| ﺻـﻮ | sw | 0 |
| ﺣﻮ | hw | 0 |
| ﺳﻮﻭ | sww | 0 |
| Sow in the Arabic language | ||
| صو | sw | - |
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Footnotes
- Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
- Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
- Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
- Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
- Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
- Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
- Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Sow
- To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis