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

Bowley, 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 Bowley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowley in America

Bowley is the 15692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowley surname appeared 1,859 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 Bowley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowley 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 Bowley

The surname Bowley is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the place name "Bowley" or "Bawley," which was once a hamlet located near the town of Harthill in Yorkshire, England.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various forms such as "de Boulay," "de Bouleye," and "de Bouelaye." These variations reflect the Norman-French influence on the English language during that period, as many surnames were originally derived from place names or descriptive terms.

One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was William de Bouleye, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the late 13th century.

Interestingly, the name Bowley does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name likely emerged or gained prominence after the Norman Conquest.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Bowley throughout history. One such figure was Robert Bowley (1550-1621), an English clergyman who served as the rector of Barking in Essex. Another was John Bowley (1685-1749), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Derby from 1734 to 1741.

In the 18th century, William Bowley (1705-1780) was a renowned English sculptor and carver who contributed to the decorative woodwork at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. His son, also named William Bowley (1732-1805), followed in his footsteps and became a respected sculptor and wood carver as well.

Moving into the 19th century, Arthur Liston Bowley (1869-1957) was a renowned British statistician and economist who made significant contributions to the field of statistics and its applications in social sciences. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern statistics.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Bowley throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowley

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

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

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

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