Bowring last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bowring

An English surname derived from a coastal location where boats were housed or repaired.

Bowring, 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 Bowring surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowring in America

Bowring is the 55121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowring surname appeared 373 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 Bowring.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowring 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank551214924911.25%
Count373401-7.24%
Proportion per 100k0.130.15-14.29%

The history of the last name Bowring

The surname Bowring is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "burg," meaning a fortified town or a hill, combined with the word "bow," referring to an archery bow or a curved shape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bures" in various locations across England. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals residing near fortified towns or hills with a curved or bow-like shape.

The surname Bowring is closely linked to various place names in England, such as Bowring Hill in Worcestershire and Bowring Park in Devon. These geographic locations likely influenced the development and spread of the surname over time.

One notable figure bearing the name Bowring was Sir John Bowring (1792-1872), a renowned British political economist, writer, and diplomat. He served as the Governor of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1859 and played a crucial role in the establishment of British trade relations with China.

Another prominent individual with the surname Bowring was Walter Andrew Bowring (1865-1936), a British diplomat and author. He served as the British Consul-General in Mexico and wrote several books on Mexican history and culture.

In the 19th century, the Bowring family established a successful mercantile business in London, contributing to the city's thriving trade and commerce. One member of this family, Charles Bowring (1811-1890), was a prominent banker and philanthropist who supported various charitable causes.

The Bowring surname can also be found in the records of the Virginia Company, which played a significant role in the early colonization of North America. Thomas Bowring (born around 1585) was among the earliest settlers in Virginia, arriving in the colony in 1609.

Another notable figure with the Bowring surname was John Bowring (1898-1972), a British mathematician and educator. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education and served as the President of the Mathematical Association from 1949 to 1950.

Throughout its long history, the Bowring surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, diplomats, authors, educators, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowring

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

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 Bowring was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only87.67%327
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native1.34%5
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races1.88%7
Hispanic Origin7.51%28

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 Bowring has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White87.67%91.52%-4.30%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.34%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races1.88%1.25%40.26%
Hispanic7.51%5.24%35.61%

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

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

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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!

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