2000
#4,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,510
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.41
Rare Last name
Bowe
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "bui," meaning "yellow" or "fair-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,543 Americans carry the last name Bowe. That puts it at #5,142 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bowe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,440
Census rank
#5,142
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,578 bearers of the surname Bowe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5142nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowe
The surname Bowe originated in England and has its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "boga," which means "a bender," referring to a maker or seller of bows. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the trade of archery equipment or were skilled bowyers.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bowe surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable example is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a person named Robert le Boghere, derived from the Old English word "boga" and the occupational suffix "-ere," indicating a bowyer or bow maker.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Bowe surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1284, where a person named Walter le Boughiere was mentioned. The surname also appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John le Boughiere was listed.
In the 15th century, the surname Bowe was found in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences from the Paston family of Norfolk, England. One letter, dated 1472, mentions a person named John Bowe, indicating the gradual transition from the earlier spellings to the more modern form.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Bowe. One prominent figure was John Bowe (1512-1590), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Carlisle. Another individual was Robert Bowe (1470-1537), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex.
In the 17th century, the Bowe surname gained prominence with the birth of John Bowe (1627-1675), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton. During the same period, Henry Bowe (1633-1694) was a notable English mathematician and academic at the University of Oxford.
The 18th century saw the birth of Robert Bowe (1753-1830), an Irish-born English actor and dramatist known for his performances in Shakespeare's plays. Additionally, William Bowe (1721-1792) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.
As the Bowe surname spread across different regions, it also gave rise to various place names and local variants. For instance, the village of Bowe in County Durham, England, is believed to have derived its name from the Old English word "boga," suggesting a connection to the surname's origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowe
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bowe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 4,837
- Black or African American17.9% · 1,176
- Two or more races5.0% · 330
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 177
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowe
Bowe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,628
+118 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Down 307 places
2020
#5,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,578
-50 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 2.20
Rank movement Up 122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,957 | 6,510 | 2.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,264 | 6,628 | 2.25 | +118 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 307 places |
| 2020 | #5,142 | 6,578 | 2.20 | -50 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 122 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bowe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,264 | #5,142 | 2.3% |
| Count | 6,628 | 6,578 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.25 | 2.20 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowe bearers went from 6,628 to 6,578 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 122 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,264 to #5,142.
FAQ
Bowe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowe?
Name Census estimates that about 7,543 living Americans carry the surname Bowe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,440 residents.
How common is Bowe?
Bowe ranks #5,142 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,578 people with the surname Bowe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,543), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bowe.
Has Bowe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowe went from 6,628 recorded bearers to 6,578. That is a decrease of 50 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,264 to #5,142.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowe, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bowe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (4,837 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (17.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bowe (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bowe mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "bui," meaning "yellow" or "fair-haired." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bowe (2.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bowe?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Bowe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.