The Bowser surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 14,383 people carried this name — #2,517 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 20,500 people counted. That is up 2% from 14,071 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bowser surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the butcher’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Thomas le Bousyre, 1278 — Writs of Parliament.

His entry covers Bowser and Bewsher.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 124 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bowser was found among the farmers of Lincolnshire: 7 in every 10,000.

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

Lincolnshire 7

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

Bowser in American newspapers,
1905–1916.

Newspaper page from The Harlem News carrying the name Bowser
The Harlem News 1916-04-14
Newspaper page from The Ronan Pioneer carrying the name Bowser
The Ronan Pioneer 1916-07-28
Newspaper page from The River Press carrying the name Bowser
The River Press 1905-12-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,866 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bowser in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

27,433 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bowser. The most, 10,925, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 17,941
New South Wales 3,385
Queensland 3,242
South Australia 1,392
Western Australia 960
Tasmania 475
ACT (Canberra) 6
Northern Territory 3

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

Who carried it

People named Bowser,
with a public archive behind them.

  • David Bustill Bowser
    David Bustill Bowser 1820–1900 · artist
  • Mary Bowser
    Mary Bowser 1841–1867 · spy
  • Rosa Dixon Bowser
    Rosa Dixon Bowser 1855–1931 · educator
  • John Bowser
    John Bowser 1856–1936 · politician
  • William John Bowser
    William John Bowser 1867–1933 · politician
  • Howard Bowser 1824–1899 · iron founder

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 Bowser,
in the records of 6 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 States843 records

843 records of the Bowser name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 511
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 156
  • Other U.S. records 176
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward Bowser

    Born 1905 in District of Columbia. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; messenger. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1962, buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.

    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 Hannah Bowser

    Arrived at New York in 1835 aboard the Eli Whitney from Liverpool, aged 24; farmer. From England; bound for New York.

    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 Lemuel R. Bowser

    Born 1930; from Elmbank, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; declared dead 1950 in South Korea.

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

Showing 3 of 843 records for Bowser in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Canada491 records

491 records of the Bowser name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 455
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 11
  • Other Canadian records 25
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record William Thomas Bowser

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 25.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Joseph Bowser

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Polynesian, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edna Bowser

    Died 1958, aged 56; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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

Showing 3 of 491 records for Bowser 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. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · 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: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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).

Australia113 records

113 records of the Bowser name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 65
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 35
  • Other Australian records 13
  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 Bowser

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Governor Phillip in 1856.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1859 aboard the Nimroud, aged 38; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Leslie David Bowser

    Retired of Murrumbeena, Victoria; died 1984.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 113 records for Bowser in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands97 records

97 records of the Bowser name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 51
  • Dutch population registers 46
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Joseph Bowser

    Married in 1831 in Rotterdam. Died 1841 in Rotterdam, aged 64.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Cornelia Henriette Louise Bowser

    Died 1928 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 71.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Amalia Bowser

    In a population register; domestic help, born 1827 in Rotterdam/Z. H.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 97 records for Bowser 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Bowser name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Bowser

    Buried in 1806 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 35.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. 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 Dorothy Hilda Bowser

    Will proved in 1932; of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire.

    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 H. Bowser

    King's (Liverpool Regiment). 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 9 records for Bowser in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (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 Zealand5 records

5 records of the Bowser name in New Zealand Marlborough District cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert William Bowser

    Died 1942, aged 97; 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 Clarice Eva Bowser

    Died 1958, aged 73; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Violet Bowser

    Died 1965, aged 71; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Bowser in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bowser.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bowser 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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