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

Bowker, 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 Bowker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowker in America

Bowker is the 8328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowker surname appeared 3,980 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bowker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowker 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 Bowker

The surname Bowker originated in England during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bocere," which means "a keeper of books or records." The name was initially used to describe a person who worked as a scribe or bookkeeper.

The earliest recorded instance of the Bowker surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English government, and they listed individuals by their occupations or locations.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Bockere," "Bokere," and "Boker," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. During this period, the Bowker family was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Bowker surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the development of the name, such as "Bokenhale" (modern-day Bucknall) and "Bochinton" (modern-day Boughton).

One notable historical figure with the Bowker surname was Sir Richard Bowker (1497-1554), a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London in 1543. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was involved in various civic projects.

Another prominent individual was Jeremiah Bowker (1632-1685), a Baptist minister and author from Yorkshire. He wrote several religious works and was known for his nonconformist views during the Puritan era.

In the 18th century, John Bowker (1734-1784) was a renowned English engraver and portrait painter. He was elected a member of the Royal Academy and is remembered for his exceptional skill in capturing likenesses.

During the 19th century, the Bowker name gained further recognition with the birth of Robert Bowker (1836-1926), an English-born American publisher and bibliographer. He founded the influential R.R. Bowker Company, which published Books in Print and other essential reference works for the publishing industry.

Another notable figure was Frances Bowker (1855-1922), a British philanthropist and social reformer. She was actively involved in various charitable organizations and worked tirelessly to improve the living conditions of the poor in London.

The Bowker surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England. Its origins are rooted in the occupation of record-keeping and book-keeping, and it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including politicians, religious figures, artists, and philanthropists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowker

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

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

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

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