2000
#2,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,071
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.22
Uncommon Last name
Bowser
An English occupational surname for a person who made or used bows, derived from the Norman French "boseier."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,012 Americans carry the last name Bowser. That puts it at #2,516 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowser 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 Bowser with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,406
Census rank
#2,516
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,963 bearers of the surname Bowser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2516th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowser, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowser
The surname Bowser is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'bogis', which means 'to bend' or 'to bow'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who had a physical characteristic of being bent or bowed over.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bowser can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Boughisere'. This reference indicates that the name was already in use during the time of the Norman Conquest.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various records and documents, often with slight variations in spelling, such as 'Bowghser', 'Boughser', and 'Bowgser'. These variations reflect the lack of standardized spelling during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Bowser was associated with a place called Bowser Hill, located in the county of Yorkshire. It is possible that some individuals with the surname may have taken their name from this location, though the exact origins remain unclear.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Bowser was John Bowser, who was born in 1492 in the town of Beverley, Yorkshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner during the Tudor period.
Another notable figure bearing the name was Sir Thomas Bowser (1540-1612), a military commander and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the English campaigns against the Spanish Armada.
In the 17th century, the name Bowser appeared in the records of the Virginia Colony in North America. One such individual was William Bowser (1628-1692), who was among the early English settlers in the Chesapeake Bay region.
During the 18th century, the Bowser family established themselves as prominent landowners and industrialists in the county of Lancashire, England. One of the most notable members was John Bowser (1726-1804), who owned several textile mills and played a key role in the Industrial Revolution.
Another notable figure was Sir Henry Bowser (1792-1868), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became an influential politician and colonial administrator in Canada.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Bowser throughout history. While the name has its origins in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the diverse migratory patterns of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowser
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowser, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowser 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 Bowser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.9% · 10,175
- Black or African American19.7% · 2,752
- Two or more races4.0% · 561
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 368
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowser
Bowser 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
#2,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,383
+312 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 4.88
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#2,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,963
-420 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 4.67
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,356 | 14,071 | 5.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,517 | 14,383 | 4.88 | +312 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #2,516 | 13,963 | 4.67 | -420 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1 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 Bowser 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 | #2,517 | #2,516 | 0.0% |
| Count | 14,383 | 13,963 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.88 | 4.67 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowser bearers went from 14,383 to 13,963 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,517 to #2,516.
FAQ
Bowser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowser?
Name Census estimates that about 16,012 living Americans carry the surname Bowser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,406 residents.
How common is Bowser?
Bowser ranks #2,516 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,963 people with the surname Bowser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,012), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Bowser.
Has Bowser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowser went from 14,383 recorded bearers to 13,963. That is a decrease of 420 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,517 to #2,516.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowser, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.9%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) 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 Bowser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.9% (10,175 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.9%), Black (19.7%), 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 Bowser (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 Bowser mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who made or used bows, derived from the Norman French "boseier." 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 Bowser (4.67 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 Americans have the surname Bowser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.