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

Bowyer, 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 Bowyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bowyer in America

Bowyer is the 8019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bowyer surname appeared 4,127 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 Bowyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bowyer 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 Bowyer

The surname "BOWYER" is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "bowyer," which referred to a maker of bows and arrows, a highly skilled profession during those times.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, both dating back to the 13th century. These early mentions often appear with slight variations in spelling, such as "Bouyer" or "Bowiere."

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Robert le Bowyer, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273. Another early bearer was William le Bowyer, listed in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1279.

The surname is also found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the occupation of bowyer was already established in England during the Norman period.

Throughout history, the surname Bowyer has been associated with various notable figures. Sir William Bowyer (1663-1737) was a renowned English printer and publisher who established the Bowyer printing house in London. Sir John Bowyer, 1st Baronet (1623-1666), was an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert Bowyer (1758-1834), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. William Bowyer (1699-1777) was an English printer and scholar known for his contributions to the field of typography and his work on the Cambridge edition of the Greek Testament.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Bowyer was also associated with various places in England, such as Bowyer's Hill in Hertfordshire and Bowyer's Lane in London, further solidifying its connection to the occupation of bowyer and the production of bows and arrows.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bowyer

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

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

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

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