2000
#14,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Bowley
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Boughley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,072 Americans carry the last name Bowley. That puts it at #15,577 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,422 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowley 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 Bowley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,422
Census rank
#15,577
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,807 bearers of the surname Bowley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15577th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowley 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 Bowley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 1,461
- Two or more races6.2% · 112
- Black or African American5.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowley
Bowley 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
#15,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,859
+18 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 900 places
2020
#15,577
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,807
-52 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,792 | 1,841 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,692 | 1,859 | 0.63 | +18 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 900 places |
| 2020 | #15,577 | 1,807 | 0.60 | -52 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 115 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 Bowley 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 | #15,692 | #15,577 | 0.7% |
| Count | 1,859 | 1,807 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.60 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowley bearers went from 1,859 to 1,807 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,692 to #15,577.
FAQ
Bowley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,072 living Americans carry the surname Bowley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,422 residents.
How common is Bowley?
Bowley ranks #15,577 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,807 people with the surname Bowley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,072), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Bowley.
Has Bowley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowley went from 1,859 recorded bearers to 1,807. That is a decrease of 52 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,692 to #15,577.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.2%) and Black (5.3%). 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 Bowley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (1,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Two or More Races (6.2%), Black (5.3%). 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 Bowley (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 Bowley mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Boughley. 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 Bowley (0.60 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 surname Bowley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.