Name Pauw Type Surname (from location & from nickname) Usage Dutch, Flemish Pronounced Pron. /pɑu̯/(Dutch) Other Forms FormsDe Pauw, DePauw Edit Status Status Meaning & History Means "peacock" in Dutch. Could be a habitational name from a sign depicting a peacock, or a nickname for a proud or flamboyant person. In some cases, it can be a shortened form of the patronymic Pauwels "son of Paul".