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

Bowers, 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 Bowers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowers in America

Bowers is the 511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowers surname appeared 66,003 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 22 people would have the surname Bowers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowers 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 Bowers

The surname Bowers is an English occupational name derived from the Middle English word "bower," meaning a bowmaker or fletcher who crafted longbows. It originated in the 13th century and was common in areas like Yorkshire and Lancashire, where archery and bowmaking were prevalent.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where a Thomas le Bower is mentioned. Another early record is found in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, which lists a John Bower.

The name is also closely linked to various place names like Bower in Gloucestershire, Bower Chalke in Wiltshire, and Bower Hills in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals with the occupational surname Bower or Bowers.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was John Bowers, a 15th-century English theologian and scholar who was born in Suffolk around 1420. He studied at Oxford University and became a renowned preacher and author of several religious works.

In the 16th century, Edward Bowers (1550-1612) was a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament for Pembroke. He served as the High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire and was involved in various legal disputes and controversies during his career.

Sir John Bowers (1594-1658) was a renowned English naval officer and parliamentarian who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He served as a Vice-Admiral in the Commonwealth Navy and was instrumental in several key naval victories against the Dutch.

Another notable figure was George Bowers (1663-1700), an English pirate and privateer who operated in the Caribbean and along the coast of North America. He was eventually captured and executed for his piracy activities.

In the 19th century, John Bowers (1811-1879) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the National Portrait Gallery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowers

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

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

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

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