2000
#3,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,270
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.07
Uncommon Last name
Bowens
A patronymic surname derived from the Welsh personal name Owain or Owein, meaning "noble-born" or "well-born."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,087 Americans carry the last name Bowens. That puts it at #3,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,980 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowens 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 Bowens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,980
Census rank
#3,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,796 bearers of the surname Bowens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.6%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowens
The surname Bowens originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English word "bogenere," which referred to a skilled archer or bowman. This occupational surname was likely first adopted by individuals whose profession involved archery or the crafting of bows.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bowens can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Bouginer, Bowyner, and Boughiner appearing in historical documents. One notable early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert le Boughiner.
During the 14th century, the name Bowens began to spread across various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. This geographic distribution suggests that the surname may have originated in these areas, where archery and the production of bows were significant occupations.
In the Domesday Book, a valuable record of landowners and tenants in 11th century England, there are no direct references to the surname Bowens. However, this does not preclude the possibility that individuals with this occupation existed during that time, as surnames were still in their infancy.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Bowens include:
1. John Bowens (c. 1480-1556), a renowned English archer who served under King Henry VIII and participated in various military campaigns.
2. Elizabeth Bowens (1606-1672), a Puritan settler in New England and one of the founders of the town of Roxbury, Massachusetts.
3. Sir William Bowens (1640-1712), a British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Vigo Bay during the War of the Spanish Succession.
4. Edward Bowens (1788-1868), an English poet and writer known for his works on nature and rural life.
5. Mary Bowens (1811-1891), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Bowens has also been associated with various place names, such as Bowenshall in Yorkshire and Bowensfield in Lincolnshire, further reinforcing its ties to specific geographic regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowens
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.6%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowens 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 Bowens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American74.3% · 6,537
- White15.6% · 1,373
- Two or more races6.2% · 545
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 288
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowens
Bowens 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
#3,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,188
+918 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Up 84 places
2020
#3,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,796
-392 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,945 | 8,270 | 3.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,861 | 9,188 | 3.11 | +918 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 84 places |
| 2020 | #3,916 | 8,796 | 2.94 | -392 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 55 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 Bowens 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 | #3,861 | #3,916 | -1.4% |
| Count | 9,188 | 8,796 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.11 | 2.94 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowens bearers went from 9,188 to 8,796 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,861 to #3,916.
FAQ
Bowens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowens?
Name Census estimates that about 10,087 living Americans carry the surname Bowens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,980 residents.
How common is Bowens?
Bowens ranks #3,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,796 people with the surname Bowens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,087), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bowens.
Has Bowens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowens went from 9,188 recorded bearers to 8,796. That is a decrease of 392 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,861 to #3,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.3%. The next largest groups are White (15.6%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bowens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (6,537 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (74.3%), White (15.6%), Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Bowens (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 Bowens mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the Welsh personal name Owain or Owein, meaning "noble-born" or "well-born." 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 Bowens (2.94 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 surname Bowens?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.