Flower Family History & Genealogy

1,622 biographies and 13 photos with the Flower last name. Discover the family history, nationality, origin and common names of Flower family members.

ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM

Find Flower records

Birth records

Marriage records

Divorce records

Death records

Search for Flower records

Flower Last Name History & Origin

Add

History

I have traced my Flower family lineage from Birmingham, England, to Brooklyn, New York, then on to Madison County, Illinois, then on to Polk County, Iowa, then on to West, McLennan County, Texas, then to Globe and Phoenix in Arizona. My father moved from there on to Los Angeles, California.

Name Origin

This picturesque surname has two distinct possible sources, each with its own history and derivation. In the first instance, Flowers may have originated as a patronymic form of the medieval nickname “Flo(u)r” from the Middle English “flor” via the Old French “flur”, a flower. This was the conventional term of endearment in medieval romantic poetry, and as early as the 13th Century it was also regularly found as a female given name. “Flur” and “Flour” (without surname) occur in Records of Cornwall, dated 1297. The surname may have also been derived from an occupational name for a maker of arrows. The derivation, in this case, is from the Middle English “flo”, a development of the Olde English pre 7th Century “fla”, arrow, with the addition of the agent suffix “er” (one who does, works with). A quotation from Chaucer’s “Manciple’s Tale” reads, “His bowe he bent, and set therein a flo”. Early examples of the surname (no confirmation of the following in connection to this particular lineage) include: William Flur, also, Johanna Floure and Matilda Flowre (Yorkshire, 1203 and 1379, respectively). On November 5, 1609, John Flowers and Elizabeth Langman were married as St. Dunstan’s, Stepney, London. Fredrick Flowers was a magistrate as Bow Street, 1864-1886, and his brother George French Flowers (1811-1872), the renowned musical composer, published an “Essay of the Construction of Fugue”, 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John le Floer, which was dated 1273, in the “Hundred Rolls of Devonshire”, during the reign of King Edward 1, known as “The Hammer of the Scots”, 1272-1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England, this was known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to “develop”, often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Spellings & Pronunciations

In tracing my "Flower" lineage, I have found that both the surnames "Flower" and "Flowers" have been used, changing from one generation to the next. At times, in fact, one sibling would maintain the surname "Flower" while another would use the surname "Flowers". However, the use of the surname "Flower" is predominate in this lineage.

Nationality & Ethnicity

This lineage is certainly of English heritage, traced back to Birmingham, England.

Famous People named Flower

Are there famous people from the Flower family? Share their story.

Early Flowers

These are the earliest records we have of the Flower family.

Samuel Flower born Jun 26, 1752 England, United Kingdom

There was a Samuel Flower listed as a Frame Maker on Newmarket Street in Birmingham, England in 1818. There were also listed five men by the surname Brookes: a John Brookes (Cabinet Locksmith on Henrietta Street), a William Brookes (Butcher on Congreve Street), a Samuel Brookes (Butcher on Livery Street), a Thomas Brookes (Publican at St. Martin’s Tavern, St. Martin’s Lane), and a William Brookes (Tailor on Ann Street). If this was a listing of Samuel Flower and he was still alive, he would have been about 66 years old at the time; however, this would have more likely been his son Samuel who was about 39 years old. Since Gideon would have been about 25 years old yet is not listed in this directory, it appears that he was working as an apprentice Caster Frame Maker in the shop of his father or brother until about 1825/27 when he left for America.

Favorite (1)

1 follower

Lamrock Flower 1761 - 1820

There have been SEVERAL Lamrock Flower's in our family. Beginning in 1579, Combe Hay Parish, Gloucester, England. My picture is with my ggg grandfather and ggg grandmother; taken in 2013.

Favorite (1)

1 follower

Maria (Allen) Flower born 1791 England, United Kingdom

Maria was born in 1791 in England. Maria arrived at the Port of New York on May 11, 1827 along with her children. "Passenger Arrivals at the Port of New York, 1820-1829 (also found on familysearch, “New York, New York, Index to Passenger Lists, 1820-1846”) indicates the following as one family traveling to the United States on the ship named Acasta. Their last place of residence was Great Britain. The date of arrival at the Port of New York was May 11, 1827: 1.) Mrs. Maria Flowers, age 32, female. Occupation: Carpenter. From England. Intends to live in the United States. 2.) Miss Mercy Flowers, age 10, female. Occupation: Carpenter. From England. Intends to live in the United States. 3.) Mast. John Flowers, age 6, male. Occupation: Carpenter. From England. Intends to live in the United States. 4.) Miss Hannah Flowers, age 4, female. Occupation: Carpenter. From England. Intends to live in the United States. 5.) Mast. Wm. Flowers, age 2, male. Occupation: Carpenter. From England. Intends to live in the United States. Gideon was not on this ship; rather, he arrived earlier to get himself established in the new country, then sent for his family to meet him there. In any case, even though the family arrived in the Port of New York, he did not. He must have arrived earlier, between 1825 and 1827, through some other port. Maria may have died while giving birth about a month before her husband died.

Favorite (1)

1 follower

Gideon Flower Nov 30, 1793 - Aug 1844 Illinois, United States

A son of Samuel Flower, perhaps his youngest, Gideon Flower was christened November 30, 1793 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Gideon’s wife was Maria Allen, who was born in 1791 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. They were married on October 17, 1815 at Saint Philips, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Gideon moved by himself to America sometime between 1825 and 1827. He then requested his wife and family to meet him in America; they arrived at the Port of New York on May 11, 1827. In 1829, Gideon Flower was listed as a Caster Frame Maker, Metal Work, in Brooklyn, New York. It is very likely that he was an apprentice to either his father or his brother, learning the trade in a foundry near Birmingham. The family of Gideon Flower lived in Ward 5, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York in 1830, right next to the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard; we can be almost certain that he worked in that shipyard. They moved to Madison County, Illinois by 1840, likely in 1837 in response to the national economic crisis at that time. He was baptized Baptist and continued in this faith in Madison County, Illinois. Gideon died in Madison County, Illinois in August 1844 at the age of 50. The probate records of Gideon Flower confirm our John Flower as a son of Gideon Flower. It is worth noting the phenomenal stroke of luck we have here: the rarity of the name "Gideon Flower" has helped me to easily solidify this man's birth in England to his death in Illinois; furthermore, the probate record of this same Gideon has named his son, John as executor of the will.

Favorite (1)

1 follower

John A. Flower 1820 - Nov 17, 1890 McLennan County, Texas, United States

Judging from entries in the Warwickshire Parish Register, it seems likely that the John Flower(s) described on several public member trees in ancestry as born in Warwickshire, England came from Bourton-on-Dunsmore Parish in Warwickshire, England. It is also apparent that the predominate surname in Warwickshire, England is “Flower” rather than “Flowers”. One of the sons of Gideon Flower – perhaps is oldest son – was John A. Flower(s). He was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. US Census records suggest he was born between May 11, 1820 and July 14, 1820 in England; however, his cemetery record has recorded his birth date as August 30, 1818. He married his first wife, Nancy Renfro, in Madison County, Illinois in 1842. He and Nancy spent some time in the vicinity of Des Moines, Iowa before he came to Texas. Our direct ancestor, Almarinda Bennett, was his second wife; it appears they married June 9, 1859 in McLennan County, Texas. He was a farmer; he owned land near the small town of West, in McLennan County, Texas. US Census records suggest he died in McLennan County, Texas sometime between June 17, 1880 and June 1, 1900; his cemetery record states that he died in that County on November 17, 1890. John and Amanda were buried in White Rock Cemetery in McLennan County, Texas. Speculating on the absence of information regarding John's first wife, Nancy Flower, and their son Thomas Flower, they may have succumbed to the yellow fever epidemic that had taken the lives of thousands nationwide during the years of 1850 to 1855; this might serve to explain the lack of death records. “In this century [the 1800s], the American cities along the Gulf of Mexico were the ones mainly visited [by the epidemic]. New Orleans had epidemic outbreaks from 1800 to 1878, and in one year alone, in 1853, 8,101 out of 29,020 patients died. Mobile, Houston, Galveston, Pensacola, Key West, etc., were attacked. We will not mention the total number of visits suffered by New York, New Jersey, Boston, Savannah, Norfolk, where in 1855 yellow fever killed 2,000 persons. Charleston had five big outbreaks, of which the one in 1866 took 4,565 lives. In Memphis, Tennessee, scourged no less than five times, the epidemic killed 5,150 citizens in 1879 out of a total of 17,600 cases.” Lacking further information, we are left to speculate what this epidemic must have been like – traveling only about 280 miles north of Memphis along the Mississippi River – in St. Louis, Missouri. Madison County, Illinois is only 33 miles north from St. Louis; Davenport, Iowa is another 300 miles further up the Mississippi River; Des Moines is 350 miles up the Des Moines River. Being that yellow fever was transmitted by both mosquitoes and people, it is very likely that St. Louis was also inundated by this epidemic; Davenport and Des Moines may have been affected as well. John found himself faced with a golden opportunity and a great loss at the same time; he had obtained a relatively sizable inheritance just six to ten years prior, but his wife and his son may have recently passed away. Since our John did not own land, the offer of free land – 130 acres, no less – and a fresh start in Texas must have been mighty tempting – an offer too good to pass up.

Favorite (2)

2 followers