2000
#3,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,943
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.06
Uncommon Last name
Bowie
From the Scottish place name Buchan, referring to someone from that region, or a variant of the surname Bowie.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,888 Americans carry the last name Bowie. That puts it at #3,123 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowie 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 Bowie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,595
Census rank
#3,123
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,239 bearers of the surname Bowie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3123rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowie
The surname BOWIE has its origins in Scotland and England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bugh" or "bowe," which means a bend or curve, often referring to a bent or curved landscape feature or a bend in a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "Bowye." This document contains the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
The BOWIE surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland and England, such as Bowiehill in Berwickshire, Scotland, and Bowie in Northumberland, England. These place names likely influenced the development of the surname over time.
In the 16th century, the BOWIE family held lands in Ayrshire, Scotland, and played a significant role in the region's history. One notable member of the family was John BOWIE, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century.
Another prominent figure with the BOWIE surname was Sir John BOWIE, a Scottish knight who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the late 16th century. He was instrumental in strengthening the city's defenses during the Anglo-Scottish Wars.
The BOWIE name also has a connection to the American Revolutionary War. Walter BOWIE (1742-1810), a Scottish-American planter from Maryland, served as a captain in the Continental Army and fought in several battles against the British forces.
In the 19th century, James BOWIE (1796-1836) gained fame as the designer of the iconic Bowie knife, which was used extensively during the Texas Revolution and later became a symbol of the American frontier. He was also a renowned fighter and was involved in several duels and skirmishes.
Another notable figure with the BOWIE surname was William BOWIE (1872-1940), a British writer and explorer who traveled extensively in Central Asia and wrote several books about his adventures, including "The Unexpected Life of a Victorian Explorer."
While the BOWIE surname has its roots in Scotland and England, it has since spread worldwide, with families carrying this name residing in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowie
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowie 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 Bowie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.6% · 5,461
- White41.6% · 4,680
- Two or more races4.9% · 548
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 392
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowie
Bowie 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
#3,039
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,786
+843 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 4.00
Rank movement Down 3 places
2020
#3,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,239
-547 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,036 | 10,943 | 4.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,039 | 11,786 | 4.00 | +843 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 3 places |
| 2020 | #3,123 | 11,239 | 3.76 | -547 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 84 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 Bowie 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 | #3,039 | #3,123 | -2.8% |
| Count | 11,786 | 11,239 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.00 | 3.76 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowie bearers went from 11,786 to 11,239 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,039 to #3,123.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bowie
FAQ
Bowie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowie?
Name Census estimates that about 12,888 living Americans carry the surname Bowie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,595 residents.
How common is Bowie?
Bowie ranks #3,123 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,239 people with the surname Bowie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bowie.
Has Bowie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowie went from 11,786 recorded bearers to 11,239. That is a decrease of 547 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,039 to #3,123.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.6%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Bowie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (5,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.6%), White (41.6%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Bowie (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 Bowie mean?
From the Scottish place name Buchan, referring to someone from that region, or a variant of the surname Bowie. 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 Bowie (3.76 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 Bowie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.