Blow
Probably a nickname surname, perhaps for a horn-blower or from a word meaning “blossom” or “flower.”
The #9,100 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 86,002 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Blow is most likely English in form, but its exact origin is not entirely settled. One line of explanation treats it as a nickname connected with a horn-blower, an occupational or habit-based sobriquet. Another possible source is a word related to Middle English blossom or flower, used as a complimentary nickname; 19th-century writers also compared it with forms such as Bloss and Blossom.
History
Bardsley discusses Blow as a surname in England and the United States, and he specifically rejects an older suggestion that it is simply a shortening of Bellew or Bellow. Because the name is short and easily confused with other surnames, historical records may show variant spellings or related forms. The modern distribution suggests a modest but established English-language surname, with bearers also found in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley called the horn-blower explanation a possible sobriquet, but he thought the Bellew/Bellow contraction theory was not convincing.
From the historical record
“BLOW Thus the conclusion is inevitable; Bloss in the 19th century is but a variant of Blois of the lath century. MDB. (co. Saffolk), 1 ; New York, 7. Blossoio. — Nick, 'the blossom,' i.e. the flower (cf. Flower), pro- bably in a complimentary sense. 'Blosme,orblossumJiOTM'; Prompt. Parv.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances