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

Fowles, 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 Fowles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fowles in America

Fowles is the 16839th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fowles surname appeared 1,695 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 Fowles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fowles 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 Fowles

The surname Fowles is of English origin and is derived from the Old English word "fugol," meaning "bird." It was originally used as a nickname for someone who kept or caught birds, or who may have exhibited bird-like characteristics.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Fowles dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Fugeles." This suggests that the name has been in use for at least a thousand years in England.

In the 13th century, the surname Fowles was also found in various records with the spellings "Fugel," "Fogel," and "Foughel." These variations reflect the changes in language and pronunciation over time.

One notable bearer of the name Fowles was John Fowles (1926-2005), an English novelist and philosopher best known for his works "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "The Magus."

Another prominent figure with the surname Fowles was Reverend John Fowles (1617-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Principles and Practices of Certain Moderate Divines of the Church of England."

In the late 16th century, the name Fowles was also associated with a place called Fowleshurst (now Foulshurst) in Wiltshire, England. This place name likely derived from a combination of the surname Fowles and the Old English word "hyrst," meaning a wooded hill.

Robert Fowles (1610-1677) was an English Anglican clergyman who served as the Bishop of Gloucester from 1663 until his death.

William Fowles (1805-1881) was a British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

The surname Fowles has also been recorded with various spelling variations, such as Fowle, Fowels, and Foules, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and pronunciation over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fowles

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

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

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

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