Afternoon All

Agreed that today, DOW and variants is generally considered to be a Scottish Surname; but as I indicated previously there is a distinct group at an early era down south in England, Suffolk particularly.

In addition, DOW with the meaning of "black" etc or similar, occurs quite frequently in Englnd, there being a particular example in the heart of London, called Dowgate on the west side of Cannon Street Station.

This was apparently a reflection of the conditions in the area caused by tanners, tallow makers etc.

Another is the Dow Cave.

Other examples are Devon meaning black water, so indicating the early use of Gaelic and earlier Brythonic over all of the British Isles, prior to the Anglo-Saxon and Norman invasions.

There are several River Devon's; and correspondingly River Avon's.

Regarding the trailing "e", as well as possible deliberate addition to distinguish in degree from other families, I suggest that in some cases it may be due to the way in which the writer completed the letter "w" in manuscript, resulting in a swirl which could be read as being a superscripted "e".

When read or transcribed at a later date, is it a swirl; or a superscripted "e" (which did occur in other word terminations)?

THE OXFORD NAMES COMPANION has the following for "Dow"-
"
Dow 1. English; var. of Daw. 2. Scots; var. of Duff. Var. Dowe
...
"
There are several extensive definitions for "dow" and variants in THE CONCISE SCOTS DICTIONARY.

Alex Dow