History of the Loewe surname
German (Löwe): from Middle High German lewe, löuwe ‘lion’, hence a nickname for a brave or regal person. In some cases the surname may have been a habitational name, from a house distinguished by the sign of a lion. The surname in the sense ‘lion’ is also found in Dutch, Swedish, and English.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Loewe, Loewen, Lowen, Lowe, Low, Lower, Löwe, Löw, Leu, Leue, Lau, Laue, Löbe, Lobe, Leb, Lebe and many more. First found in Bohemia, where the Loewe family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Josef Loew, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1751 with his wife, children, and father, as did Michael Loew with his wife and children, Georg Adam Loew, who came to Maryland in 1763.
Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Famous Loewes
Stuart Loewe
Stewart Loewe (born May 23, 1968) is a former Australian rules football champion of the St Kilda Football Club. Nicknamed "Buckets" for his big hands and the way he was able to mark the ball with ease, Loewe debuted in 1986 for the St Kilda Football Club after being recruited from Mount Eliza.
At centre-half forward, Loewe formed a lethal forward line partnership with the great full-forward Tony Lockett. He had an awkward kicking style which sometimes resulted in missing easy shots, but his ability to kick long goals and consistent contested marking more than made up for it.
He went on to enjoy a great career, winning All-Australian selection in 1990, 1991 and 1992, winning the E. J. Whitten Medal in 1992, and co-captaining the side between 1996 and 1998. He retired in 2002, with 321 games under his belt, a record only surpassed at the Saints by Nathan Burke and Robert Harvey.
Famous Loewes
Frederick Loewe
Loewe (June 10, 1901 - February 14, 1988) was born in Berlin to Viennese parents Edmond and Rosa Loewe. His father Edmond was a noted Jewish operetta star who traveled considerably, to North and South America and throughout much of Europe. Fritz grew up in Berlin and attended a Prussian cadet school from the age of five until he was thirteen.
In 1956 Alan Lerner and Loewe unveiled My Fair Lady. Their adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion retained his social commentary and added unusually appropriate songs for the characters of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, played originally by Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison.
It was hugely popular and set box-office records in New York and London. Together with Lerner, he won the Tony Award for Best Musical. With My Fair Lady a smash hit, MGM took notice, and commissioned them to write the 1958 film musical Gigi, which won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Loewe was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
He remained in Palm Springs until his death.
For more information on Frederick Loewe visit the official website www.frederickloewe.org
Famous Loewes
Emile Loewe
Founded by Emile Loewe, a French pipemaker who settled in London, Loewe and Company Ltd. started life as a pipe shop in the Haymarket in 1856. As the years went by Loewe briars gained an enviable reputation for their quality and wide variety of styles.
Although no longer located in the West End the famed brand is still being manufactured in England and these high grade pipes still enjoy popularity throughout Europe.
Famous Loewes
Carl Loewe
Johann Carl Gottfried Löwe (usually written Loewe in English), was a German composer, baritone singer and conductor. In his lifetime, his songs were well enough known for some to call him the "Schubert of North Germany", and Hugo Wolf came to admire his work. He is lesser known today, but a number of his 400 or so songs are still occasionally performed.
Later in life, Carl Loewe became very popular both as a composer and as a singer, and he made several tours as a singer in the 1840's and 1850's, visiting England, France, Sweden and Norway amongst other countries. He eventually moved back to Germany, and, after quitting his posts in Stettin after 46 years, moved to Kiel, where he died from a stroke on April 20, 1869.