Sowerby Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Sowerby last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Sowerby last name
Meaning of the Sowerby last name: "farm on sour ground". Sowerby is an English surname from places in Yorkshire and Cumbria, from Old Norse saurr, "mud" or "sour ground", and bý, "farm". The last name is common in the north of England. The Sowerby family of naturalists drew the plates of English Botany.
Arms associated with the Sowerby name
Heraldry uses few colours, so a coat of arms associated with the Sowerby surname reads at a distance.
Get your full Sowerby family history
This is only a glimpse of the Sowerby story. The full Sowerby history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Sowerby coat of arms. Get the full Sowerby report.
Sowerby name FAQ
What does the Sowerby name mean?
"farm on sour ground". Common variants include Sowerbey, Sourby.
Where does the Sowerby surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Sowerby coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Sowerby coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).