2000
#11,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Bowersox
An occupational surname for a person who made or used bows, possibly an archer or bowmaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,712 Americans carry the last name Bowersox. That puts it at #12,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,384 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowersox 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,384
Census rank
#12,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,365 bearers of the surname Bowersox in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowersox, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowersox
The surname Bowersox originated in Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Germanic words "bauer," meaning "farmer," and "socks," which referred to a type of footwear worn by farmers at the time. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify someone who was a farmer or lived in an area known for farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bowersox can be found in the records of the town of Braunschweig, located in the northern region of Germany, where a family with the name Bowersox was documented in the late 1400s. It is possible that the name may have originated in this region and later spread to other parts of Germany and eventually to other countries.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, as migration and travel became more common, some individuals with the surname Bowersox may have left Germany and settled in other parts of Europe or even in the Americas. However, historical records from this time period are limited, making it difficult to trace the exact movements of those bearing this name.
One notable individual with the surname Bowersox was Johann Bowersox, a German farmer and landowner who lived in the late 17th century. He is recorded as having owned a substantial amount of land in the region around the town of Kassel, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Bowersox, born in 1732 in the town of Hannover, who served as a soldier in the Prussian army during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). His military exploits were documented in several historical accounts of the time, and he was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, a notable individual with the surname Bowersox was Wilhelm Bowersox, a German scholar and linguist who was born in 1822 in the town of Heidelberg. He made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages and published several influential works on the subject.
As the name Bowersox spread beyond Germany, it also took on various spellings and variations. In the United States, for example, some variations include Bauerssocks, Bauersox, and Bowersocks. These variations likely arose as a result of different pronunciations and interpretations of the original German name when it was recorded by officials or clerks who were unfamiliar with the language.
Despite its relatively uncommon nature, the surname Bowersox has persisted throughout history, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. While its origins may be rooted in the agricultural communities of Germany, the name has since transcended these humble beginnings and become a part of the rich tapestry of global surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowersox
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowersox, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowersox 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 Bowersox surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 2,224
- Two or more races2.7% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 52
- Black or African American0.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowersox
Bowersox 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
#12,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,505
-23 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 978 places
2020
#12,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,365
-140 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,433 | 2,528 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,411 | 2,505 | 0.85 | -23 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 978 places |
| 2020 | #12,512 | 2,365 | 0.79 | -140 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 101 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 Bowersox 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 | #12,411 | #12,512 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,505 | 2,365 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.79 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowersox bearers went from 2,505 to 2,365 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,411 to #12,512.
FAQ
Bowersox surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowersox?
Name Census estimates that about 2,712 living Americans carry the surname Bowersox. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,384 residents.
How common is Bowersox?
Bowersox ranks #12,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,365 people with the surname Bowersox. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Bowersox.
Has Bowersox become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowersox went from 2,505 recorded bearers to 2,365. That is a decrease of 140 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,411 to #12,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowersox?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowersox, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bowersox in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (2,224 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowersox appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bowersox (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 Bowersox mean?
An occupational surname for a person who made or used bows, possibly an archer or bowmaker. 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 Bowersox (0.79 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 common is the surname Bowersox?
Want to know how common the surname Bowersox is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.