2000
#7,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,954
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Bowker
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or used bows, or a baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,405 Americans carry the last name Bowker. That puts it at #8,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowker 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 Bowker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,810
Census rank
#8,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,841 bearers of the surname Bowker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowker
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowker 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 Bowker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 3,363
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 153
- Two or more races3.4% · 132
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 66
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowker
Bowker 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
#8,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,980
+26 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 581 places
2020
#8,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,841
-139 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,747 | 3,954 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,328 | 3,980 | 1.35 | +26 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 581 places |
| 2020 | #8,263 | 3,841 | 1.29 | -139 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 65 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 Bowker 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 | #8,328 | #8,263 | 0.8% |
| Count | 3,980 | 3,841 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.29 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowker bearers went from 3,980 to 3,841 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,328 to #8,263.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bowker
FAQ
Bowker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowker?
Name Census estimates that about 4,405 living Americans carry the surname Bowker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,810 residents.
How common is Bowker?
Bowker ranks #8,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,841 people with the surname Bowker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,405), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Bowker.
Has Bowker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowker went from 3,980 recorded bearers to 3,841. That is a decrease of 139 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,328 to #8,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bowker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (3,363 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bowker (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 Bowker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or used bows, or a baker. 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 Bowker (1.29 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 Americans have the surname Bowker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.