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

Bowekaty, 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 Bowekaty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowekaty in America

Bowekaty is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowekaty surname appeared 103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bowekaty.

The history of the last name Bowekaty

The surname BOWEKATY has its origins in the Germanic region of central Europe, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. Linguists believe it derived from the Old High German words "bowe" meaning "to dwell" and "kati" which was a diminutive form of the female name Katherine. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or in the household of a woman named Katherine.

One of the earliest known references to the name comes from a 1387 land deed in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentions a "Hans Bowekaty" as a local landholder. The Rothenburg archives contain several other mentions of Bowekatys in the 15th century. Around this time, spelling variations like Bouekati, Bowkati and Bouhkate also appeared in regional records.

By the 1500s, the name had spread across southern Germany and into neighboring areas like Alsace. A 1534 tax record from Strasbourg lists a Christina Bowekaty, likely a widow or female landowner which was still rare at that time. Over the next two centuries, the name continued appearing in church registries and civic documents across the region.

One notable bearer was Johann Bowekaty (1612-1680), a master woodcarver from Nürnberg whose intricate craftsmanship adorned several churches and noble houses. His son Franz (1649-1717) continued the family's woodworking tradition.

As the name dispersed through German migration, it underwent further evolution. The 1752 birth record of August Bowekaty from Prussian Silesia shows the spelling shifting to Bowekatty. Similarly, a 1793 census from Baden lists a Christina Bouquatie, reflecting the French influence on spelling in that area.

Another documented bearer was Dietrich Bowekaty (1805-1879), a philosopher and professor from Heidelberg who published influential treatises on ethics and metaphysics. His contemporary Wilhelm Bowekatty (1815-1888) was a noted landscape painter whose romantic depictions of the Black Forest became highly sought after by wealthy patrons across Europe in that era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowekaty

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

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 Bowekaty 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.

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 Bowekaty was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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