Low is an English surname with multiple potential origins. One common etymology is from Law, a medieval diminutive of Laurence, itself from the Roman cognomen Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum" (a city named after the laurel plant). Law developed as a pet form of Laurence, and variants like Low and Lowe 2 emerged through phonetic changes. Alternatively, the surname Low can derive from the obsolete English noun low, meaning “mound, barrow,” referring to someone who lived near such a feature, or from the adjective low, perhaps describing a person of short stature or humble nature. Another English and Scottish origin is from Anglo-Norman leu (“wolf”), introduced after the Norman Conquest. In Scotland, a Scottish form of Lawrence via pet forms like Lowry also gave rise to Low. For German and Jewish bearers, Low is a variant of Lowe or Löwe (meaning “lion”). Additionally, Low appears as a Chinese surname, representing variant forms of Lau, Lou, Li, or Luo through romanization. Notable Bearers Seth Low (1850–1916), American politician and educator, President of Columbia University and Mayor of New York City. Huang Low (fl. early 20th century), Chinese businessman and community leader in early Seattle. Distribution The Low surname is relatively rare in English-speaking t… Meaning: from Laurentius (laurel), mound/barrow/lowl/ian>/an>/wolf /lion> Region: England, Scotland, Germany, China /United Kingdoman> Type: Surname (variant not common}/an>