2000
#8,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Bowerman
An occupational surname referring to an archer or keeper of the bows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,014 Americans carry the last name Bowerman. That puts it at #8,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,390 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowerman 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 Bowerman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,390
Census rank
#8,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,500 bearers of the surname Bowerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowerman
The surname Bowerman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "boga" meaning "bow" and "mann" meaning "man." It was originally an occupational surname given to bowmakers or archers. The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Somerset, England.
During the medieval period, the Bowerman surname was prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It appeared in various spellings such as Bogerman, Bouerman, and Bowyrman in ancient records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which lists a John Bowerman as a taxpayer.
In the 16th century, the Bowerman surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir William Bowerman (1537-1599), a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset. He was a staunch supporter of Queen Elizabeth I and played a significant role in the English Reformation.
Another notable Bowerman was Thomas Bowerman (1620-1676), an English Puritan minister and writer who published several religious works, including "The Watchman's Answer to the Question, What of the Night?" in 1661. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army.
In the 18th century, the Bowerman surname was associated with the village of Bowerman's Leigh in Gloucestershire, which was likely named after an early settler with the surname. A notable Bowerman from this era was John Bowerman (1733-1805), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and buildings in the Gloucestershire region.
The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Bowerman (1814-1883), an English politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for Walsall. He was a vocal advocate for parliamentary reform and played a significant role in the extension of the franchise.
In the United States, one of the earliest known bearers of the Bowerman surname was William Bowerman (1654-1705), an English immigrant who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country, contributing to the spread of the surname across America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowerman 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 Bowerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 3,076
- Two or more races4.6% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 149
- Black or African American1.9% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowerman
Bowerman 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
#8,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,702
+193 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 222 places
2020
#8,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,500
-202 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,628 | 3,509 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,850 | 3,702 | 1.26 | +193 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 222 places |
| 2020 | #8,974 | 3,500 | 1.17 | -202 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 124 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 Bowerman 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 | #8,850 | #8,974 | -1.4% |
| Count | 3,702 | 3,500 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.17 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowerman bearers went from 3,702 to 3,500 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,850 to #8,974.
FAQ
Bowerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowerman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,014 living Americans carry the surname Bowerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,390 residents.
How common is Bowerman?
Bowerman ranks #8,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,500 people with the surname Bowerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,014), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bowerman.
Has Bowerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowerman went from 3,702 recorded bearers to 3,500. That is a decrease of 202 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,850 to #8,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Bowerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (3,076 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Bowerman (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 Bowerman mean?
An occupational surname referring to an archer or keeper of the bows. 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 Bowerman (1.17 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 Bowerman?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bowerman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.