The Bowden surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 24,560 people carried this name — #1,450 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 23,677 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bowden surname

As an English surname, from several places in England, derived from Old English boga (“bow”) + dun (“hill”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bowden» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Baldwin’ — the first of the origins he gives.

His entry covers Boden and Bowden.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 115 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 8 births for the Bowden name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 4
Ulster 4

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 23 people named Bowden.

Most of them — 16 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 1 département, most often Nord.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 16
Nord 7

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bowden was found among the farmers of 4 counties.

It was most frequent in Devon: 30 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 333. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Devon 30
Cornwall 23
Derbyshire 17
Cheshire 14

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Bowden was recorded 18 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1248th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 15. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

73 families named Bowden, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 385 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 24
Maine 17
North Carolina 15
Maryland 6
Pennsylvania 5
Virginia 4
New York 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 230 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bowden in American newspapers,
1897–1922.

Newspaper page from The Ocala Evening Star carrying the name Bowden
The Ocala Evening Star 1922-06-07
Newspaper page from The Frontier carrying the name Bowden
The Frontier 1897-11-04
Newspaper page from The Frontier carrying the name Bowden
The Frontier 1921-10-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 88,980 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bowden in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

97,428 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bowden. The most, 15,955, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 32,160
South Australia 17,788
Victoria 16,382
Queensland 16,114
Tasmania 8,344
Western Australia 5,951
ACT (Canberra) 495
Northern Territory 55

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bowden.

Who carried it

People named Bowden,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Bowden d. 1822 · architect
  • Stephen Bowden d. 1896 · naval surgeon
  • Helena Mary Bowden d. 1851
  • Winifred Bowden d. 1915
  • Jane Bowden d. 1715
  • Athole Olive Aileen Bowden d. 1918

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bowden,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,268 records

2,268 records of the Bowden name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 819
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 430
  • Other U.S. records 1,019
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Carlyle Miller Bowden

    Born 1949; from Norfolk, Virginia. U.S. Marine Corps, metal worker; died in an accident 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at New Bern National Cemetery, North Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William R. Bowden

    Born 1905 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1942 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; garage laborer. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1975, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Grace Bowden

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Adriatic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 22; domestic. From London, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,268 records for Bowden in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia2,917 records

2,917 records of the Bowden name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,233
  • Tasmanian Names Index 868
  • Other Australian records 816
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Bowden

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Southworth, sailing from Downs in 1833. Native of Newington, Surrey. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Clarence, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edward Bowden

    Died 1899 in Zeehan, Tasmania, aged 42. Will registered in Tasmania in 1899.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lucy Bowden

    Arrived in Victoria in 1900 aboard the Omrah, aged 22.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,917 records for Bowden in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada388 records

388 records of the Bowden name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 320
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 21
  • Other Canadian records 47
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Norman Bowden

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of Guysboro, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Sealia Bowden

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Apollo, bound for Port Roseway, aged 27.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Sydney Thomas Bowden

    Buried in 1961 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 57.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 388 records for Bowden in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom86 records

86 records of the Bowden name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 58
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 12
  • Other British records 16
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christina Forsyth Bowden

    Died 1961, aged 48; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Isaac Bowden

    Will proved in 1930; of Oldham, Lancashire.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Bowden

    Gunner; killed or died by 1921. Named in the roll of honour, Arbroath and district, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 86 records for Bowden in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand69 records

69 records of the Bowden name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 52
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 7
  • Other New Zealand records 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Bowden

    Died 1934, aged 66; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Annie Elizabeth Bowden

    Buried in 1930 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 52.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record A. Bowden

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 69 records for Bowden in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands8 records

8 records of the Bowden name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record David Bowden

    Died 1866 in Rotterdam, aged 38.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edith Ruby Bowden

    Married in 1935 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 8 records for Bowden in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Belgium5 records

5 records of the Bowden name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Samuël Stafford Bowden

    Born 1914 in Kortijk.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Kortrijk (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Irene Isabel Bowden

    Born 1909 in Kortijk.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Kortrijk (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Bowden in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Bowden name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Josiane Nelly Bowden

    Born 1932 in Loon-Plage; died 2000 in Grande-Synthe (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Timothy Bowden

    Born 1955 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Le Trait (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Bowden in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bowden.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bowden is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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