Find out how popular the last name Bow is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bow.

Bow, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bow in America

Bow is the 16909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bow surname appeared 1,684 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bow to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bow

The surname BOW is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "boga" meaning a bow or an arc. It first appeared in the late 11th century as a descriptive name for someone who was skilled in archery or involved in making bows.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Boga" in Hampshire and Gloucestershire. Over time, the spelling evolved to the modern form of "Bow."

In the 13th century, the name Bow was associated with certain locations, such as Bow Brickhill in Buckinghamshire and Bow Bridge in Leicestershire, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have taken it from these place names.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Bow, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another historical figure with the surname Bow was Walter Bow, a 15th-century English merchant and alderman of London, who served as the Sheriff of London in 1473.

In the 16th century, John Bow (c. 1550 - 1624) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bangor and later as the Bishop of St. Asaph.

Sir Henry Bow (1570 - 1634) was a 17th-century English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.

During the 18th century, Samuel Bow (1718 - 1798) was a notable English engraver and printmaker known for his portraits and landscapes.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname BOW, highlighting its long-standing presence and significance in English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bow

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bow.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bow was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bow has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bow, please contact us.

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