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

Bowness, 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 Bowness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowness in America

Bowness is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowness surname appeared 149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bowness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowness 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 Bowness

The surname Bowness originated from the Lake District region of northwestern England, specifically near the village of Bowness-on-Windermere in the county of Cumbria. It is derived from the Old Norse word "bodnas," meaning "dwellings" or "homesteads," combined with the Old English word "næss," meaning "headland" or "promontory."

The name is closely associated with the picturesque village of Bowness-on-Windermere, which dates back to the 7th century when it was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. The earliest recorded mention of the name Bowness can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bodenesse."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert de Bowness, who lived in the late 12th century and held lands in the area around Bowness-on-Windermere. Another notable figure was John de Bowness, a prominent merchant and landowner in the 14th century, who played a significant role in the local wool trade.

In the 16th century, the Bowness family produced several notable clergymen, including William Bowness (1515-1587), who served as the Vicar of Bowness-on-Windermere, and his son, Thomas Bowness (1550-1621), who became the Rector of Windermere.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the Bowness family was known for their Royalist sympathies, with several members fighting for the cause of King Charles I. One such individual was Captain Richard Bowness (1620-1685), who served in the Royalist army and was later granted lands in the area.

In the 18th century, the Bowness family continued to play a prominent role in the local community, with several members serving as mayors and aldermen of the nearby town of Kendal. One notable figure was John Bowness (1725-1798), a successful merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Kendal in 1785.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many members of the Bowness family migrated to other parts of England and beyond, seeking opportunities in emerging industries and urban centers. This led to the surname becoming more widespread, while still maintaining its strong roots in the Lake District region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowness

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!