How Australian Billionaire David Lowy Revealed His Family’s Name Change

Glass artist Peter Layton has shared the account of his family’s survival during the Holocaust, characterizing their escape from the Nazis as a total miracle. According to reporting from The Independent Culture on June 6, 2026, Layton also revealed that his family chose to anglicise their original surname, Lowy, to Layton.

Why did Peter Layton’s family change their name?

The transition from the name Lowy to Layton was a deliberate act of anglicisation. Layton disclosed that his family made the choice to alter their surname, a practice often adopted by families navigating identity and integration in the wake of historical persecution.

How does Layton describe his family’s escape from the Nazis?

Layton views the survival of his family not as a coincidence, but as a profound event.

it is ‘a total miracle’ his family escaped the NazisThe Independent Culture

This personal history provides a significant backdrop to the life of the glass artist, linking his current professional identity to a legacy of survival and the subsequent adaptation of his family’s name.