Lowther

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surname borne by an English aristocratic family of Cumbrian origin ; a place name for a village in Cumbria and a range of hills in southern Scotland
2. A family name associated with a noble English line of landowners ; a geographic name given to a Cumbrian village and to the Scottish uplands near it
3. The surname of a prominent English noble family from the northwest ; the name of a small English village and of a chain of hills in Scotland

Etymology: The Lowther family takes its name from the village of Lowther in what is now Cumbria, in north-west England. Their surname came from the place, not the reverse: a locality gave its name to a lineage that then held land there for centuries. The village name's own origin is uncertain, so it is best left unexplained. Over time the family's holdings grew, and they centred on Lowther Castle near the village. Their line later gained the earldom of Lonsdale, and the family name became attached to that title. So the name now points to a dynasty of landowners and peers, while the place it came from is still a small rural settlement.