2000
#6,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,552
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.69
Rare Last name
Bowler
An occupational surname referring to a maker or user of wooden bowls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,160 Americans carry the last name Bowler. That puts it at #7,159 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,425 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowler 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 Bowler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,425
Census rank
#7,159
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,500 bearers of the surname Bowler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7159th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowler
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowler 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 Bowler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 3,781
- Black or African American7.8% · 351
- Two or more races4.0% · 182
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowler
Bowler 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
#7,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,698
+146 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 306 places
2020
#7,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,500
-198 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,817 | 4,552 | 1.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,123 | 4,698 | 1.59 | +146 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 306 places |
| 2020 | #7,159 | 4,500 | 1.51 | -198 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 36 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 Bowler 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 | #7,123 | #7,159 | -0.5% |
| Count | 4,698 | 4,500 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.51 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowler bearers went from 4,698 to 4,500 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,123 to #7,159.
FAQ
Bowler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowler?
Name Census estimates that about 5,160 living Americans carry the surname Bowler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,425 residents.
How common is Bowler?
Bowler ranks #7,159 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,500 people with the surname Bowler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,160), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bowler.
Has Bowler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowler went from 4,698 recorded bearers to 4,500. That is a decrease of 198 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,123 to #7,159.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowler, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bowler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (3,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Bowler (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 Bowler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or user of wooden bowls. 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 Bowler (1.51 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 last name Bowler?
See how many people have the last name Bowler on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.