The Bowles surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 23,713 people carried this name — #1,514 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 23,157 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Bowles surname

Variant of Bowell with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bowles was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Wiltshire: 18 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 556. 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

Wiltshire 18
Kent 9

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

Bowles in American newspapers,
1888–1922.

Newspaper page from San Antonio Light carrying the name Bowles
San Antonio Light 1912-02-18
Newspaper page from Capital Journal carrying the name Bowles
Capital Journal 1922-04-04
Newspaper page from Illinois Staats-zeitung carrying the name Bowles
Illinois Staats-zeitung 1888-07-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 771,221 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bowles in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

16,982 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bowles. The most, 2,622, date from the 1900s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,758
Queensland 3,674
Victoria 3,433
Western Australia 1,424
South Australia 1,389
Tasmania 1,108
ACT (Canberra) 151
Northern Territory 12

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

Who carried it

People named Bowles,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Bowles d. 1598 · politician
  • John Bowles d. 1558 · Catholic priest
  • Beatrice Bowles d. 1968
  • unknown Marsh d. 1934
  • Louisa Vance d. 1958
  • Lucy Bowles d. 1835

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

In the public record

People named Bowles,
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 States2,095 records

2,095 records of the Bowles name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 922
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 361
  • Other U.S. records 812
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Theophilus Bowles

    Born 1948; from San Francisco, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Long An, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    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 Eugene A. Bowles

    Born 1923 in Virginia. Enlisted 1943 at Richmond; driver from Charles City. Veteran; died 1966, buried at Fort Harrison National Cemetery, Virginia.

    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 Elizabeth Bowles

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 27; tourist. From Glasgow; bound for Springfield.

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

Showing 3 of 2,095 records for Bowles in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). 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).

Australia655 records

655 records of the Bowles name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 268
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 134
  • Other Australian records 253
  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 Bowles

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Asiatic, sailing from Sheerness in 1843. Native of Norwich, Norfolk. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

    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 Edwin Bowles

    Died 1892 in Longford, Tasmania, aged 58. Will registered in Tasmania in 1892.

    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 Georgina Bowles

    Arrived in Victoria in 1920 aboard the Euripides, aged 30.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 655 records for Bowles 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); 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).

Canada210 records

210 records of the Bowles name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 175
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 28
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Bowles

    Came to Ontario in 1877 aboard the Sarmatian, bound for Clinton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Albert Bowles

    Buried in 1989 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 84.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harris Welsford Bowles

    Died 1939 in Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 210 records for Bowles 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. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands65 records

65 records of the Bowles name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 35
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 30
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Carolina Maria Bowles

    Born 1848 in Nude. Married in 1889 in Wageningen.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robertus Petrus Bowles

    Born 1835 in Rotterdam. Married in 1888 in Nijmegen. Died 1897 in Wageningen, aged 62.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charles Bowles

    Died 1813 in Maastricht, aged 24.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 65 records for Bowles in the Netherlands.

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

United Kingdom46 records

46 records of the Bowles name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 30
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 13
  • Other British records 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Frederick Bowles

    Will proved in 1938; of Swansea, Glamorgan.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Bowles

    Buried in 1793 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 68.

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

    Died 1918. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

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

Showing 3 of 46 records for Bowles 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. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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 Zealand15 records

15 records of the Bowles name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Herbert William Bowles

    Died 1976, aged 87; buried at Memorial Park 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 Henry James Bowles

    Died 1892, aged 28; buried at Linwood Cemetery, 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 Frederick Bowles

    Died 1956, aged 81; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Bowles in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

France3 records

3 records of the Bowles 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 William Camille Eugene Bowles

    Born 1912 in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais); died 1974 in Échirolles (Isère).

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

    Born 1938 in Wombwell (Angleterre); died 2001 in Lagny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Bowles 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 Bowles.

When the index is not enough

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