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

Bowler, 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 Bowler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowler in America

Bowler is the 7123rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowler surname appeared 4,698 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bowler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowler 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 Bowler

The surname Bowler is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "bouleur," which referred to a maker or player of bowls, a popular pastime in England during that era.

The earliest known record of the name Bowler dates back to the 13th century in the county of Yorkshire, where it was spelled "Bouler" or "Boler." It is likely that the name originated in this region, as the game of bowls was particularly popular among the gentry and nobility of Yorkshire at the time.

By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved to its modern form, "Bowler," and the name began to appear in various records across England. One notable mention is in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family in Norfolk, where a "John Bowler" is referenced in a letter dated 1472.

In the 16th century, the Bowler name gained prominence with the rise of William Bowler (c. 1510-1580), a renowned English churchman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. His nephew, John Bowler (1555-1620), was a respected clergyman and author in his own right.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bowler name continued to be well-represented in various walks of life. Notable individuals include Sir Henry Bowler (1641-1704), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London, and Thomas Bowler (1736-1802), a renowned English engraver and illustrator.

In the 19th century, the Bowler surname gained further recognition with the success of James Bowler (1811-1890), a hat manufacturer from London who is credited with designing the iconic "Bowler" hat, also known as the derby or coke hat. This hat became a symbol of respectability and was widely adopted by bankers, businessmen, and members of the upper classes.

Other notable individuals with the Bowler surname include Sir William Bowler (1836-1905), a British civil engineer who was instrumental in the construction of the London Underground, and Frank Bowler (1864-1938), a pioneer of early aviation who designed and built several successful aircraft in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowler

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

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

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

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