The Bowler surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,698 people carried this name — #7,123 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 62,900 people counted. That is up 3% from 4,552 in 2000.

See Bowler on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Bowler surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

English occupational surname for a maker or seller of bowls, dishes and cups, from Middle English bollere.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bowler» (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 an occupational name: ‘the bowler’.

An early record he cites: John le Bolur, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 123 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 14 births for the Bowler name in 1890.

Most were registered in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “All in Kerry.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 14

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

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bowler was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Derbyshire: 19 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 526. 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

Derbyshire 19
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 print

Bowler in American newspapers,
1890–1910.

Newspaper page from The Hawaiian Gazette carrying the name Bowler
The Hawaiian Gazette 1890-09-16
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Bowler
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1890-09-11
Newspaper page from The Newport Miner carrying the name Bowler
The Newport Miner 1910-11-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,934 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bowler in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

20,797 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bowler. The most, 2,590, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 9,751
Victoria 5,972
Queensland 2,050
Western Australia 1,440
South Australia 1,125
Tasmania 296
ACT (Canberra) 107
Northern Territory 8

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

Who carried it

People named Bowler,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Metcalf Bowler
    Metcalf Bowler 1726–1789
  • Anne Fairchild Bowler
    Anne Fairchild Bowler 1730–1804
  • Thomas William Bowler
    Thomas William Bowler 1812–1869 · painter
  • Fairchild Bowler 1763–1806
  • Amy Harris Bowler 1789–1870
  • William Bowler 1803–1863 · businessperson

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bowler,
in the records of 7 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 States946 records

946 records of the Bowler name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 315
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 192
  • Other U.S. records 439
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank W. Bowler

    Born 1923 in Florida. Enlisted 1943 at Richmond, Virginia; store manager. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Peninsula Memorial Park, Newport News, Virginia.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; servant. From Kerry, Ireland; bound for Iowa.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard A. Bowler

    Born 1931; from Clark County, Nevada. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1951 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 946 records for Bowler in the United States.

Counts: 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. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia611 records

611 records of the Bowler name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 315
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 97
  • Other Australian records 199
  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 Thomas Bowler

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Anson, sailing from Plymouth in 1843. Native of Streatley, Berkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Honoria Bowler

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1835. Married 1835 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    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 Thos Bowler

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Potosi, aged 25; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 611 records for Bowler in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada55 records

55 records of the Bowler name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 33
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Phebe Bowler

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Nesbitt, bound for Port Matton, aged 35.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frank Bowler

    Buried in 1979 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Norman Bowler

    Died 1936; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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

Showing 3 of 55 records for Bowler in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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 Kingdom39 records

39 records of the Bowler name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 26
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 12
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Zachh Thos Bowler

    Buried in 1849 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 44.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Bowler

    King's Royal Rifle Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Bowler

    Buried in 1813 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 70.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 39 records for Bowler 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand16 records

16 records of the Bowler name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 8
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 6
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Samuel Bowler

    Died 1895, aged 77; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Bowler

    Died 1989, aged 75; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Bowler

    Buried in 1904 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 61.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Bowler 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).

France1 record

1 record of the Bowler 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 Zena Bowler

    Born 1925 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Danjoutin (Territoire de Belfort).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Bowler name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Maurice Stephen Bowler

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bowler.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bowler 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.

See the Bowler volume
Scroll to Top