NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowd

In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Bowd surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 327, ranked #13,868, up from #14,989 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swavesey, London parishes and St Ives. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Blaenau Gwent and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowd is 389 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.0%.

1881 census count

158

Ranked #14,989

Modern count

327

2016, ranked #13,868

Peak year

1999

389 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowd had 158 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,989 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016, ranked #13,868.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 303 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowd surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bowd surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bowd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowd over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 65 #21,747
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 158 #14,989
1891 historical 242 #13,048
1901 historical 275 #12,332
1911 historical 303 #11,372
1997 modern 365 #11,804
1998 modern 378 #11,871
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 365 #12,196
2001 modern 370 #11,904
2002 modern 380 #11,887
2003 modern 369 #11,941
2004 modern 377 #11,776
2005 modern 366 #11,964
2006 modern 346 #12,539
2007 modern 351 #12,571
2008 modern 344 #12,874
2009 modern 352 #12,918
2010 modern 363 #12,878
2011 modern 360 #12,832
2012 modern 350 #12,965
2013 modern 345 #13,326
2014 modern 350 #13,263
2015 modern 338 #13,527
2016 modern 327 #13,868

Geography

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Where Bowds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swavesey, London parishes, St Ives, Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, Blaenau Gwent, Huntingdonshire and Ashfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Swavesey Huntingdonshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Ives Huntingdonshire
4 Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew, Standground (Stilton & Peterborough, Northamptonshire) Cambridgeshire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
2 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
3 Huntingdonshire 005 Huntingdonshire
4 Ashfield 015 Ashfield
5 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowd

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bowd surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowd

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bowd, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bowd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bowd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bowd is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bowd is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowd falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bowd is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bowd, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bowd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowd surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cambridgeshire leads with 66 Bowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.62x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 66 67.62x
Middlesex 22 1.43x
Norfolk 15 6.33x
Huntingdonshire 14 45.75x
Gloucestershire 12 3.97x
Derbyshire 8 3.32x
Surrey 6 0.80x
Bedfordshire 5 6.27x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.15x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Durham 1 0.22x
Herefordshire 1 1.58x
Kent 1 0.19x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.48x
Suffolk 1 0.53x
Warwickshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Andrewthe Less in Cambridgeshire leads with 37 Bowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 331.84x.

Place Total Index
St Andrewthe Less 37 331.84x
Cheltenham 11 47.17x
St Pancras London 11 8.87x
St Ives 7 440.25x
Downham Market 6 368.10x
Sawtry St Andrew 6 3157.89x
Whittlesey St Mary St 6 175.95x
Harrold 5 925.93x
Redmere 5 25000.00x
Isleham 4 444.44x
Litchurch 4 41.19x
Lolworth 4 4444.44x
Old Buckenham 4 655.74x
Swavesey 4 634.92x
Thorney 4 370.37x
Bermondsey 3 6.54x
Clerkenwell London 3 8.25x
Derby St Werburgh 3 21.54x
Hauxton 3 2142.86x
Elm 2 208.33x
Enfield 2 19.78x
Lillingstone Lovell 2 2500.00x
Staines 2 81.97x
Aston 1 0.93x
Barnes 1 31.45x
Batley 1 6.89x
Camberwell 1 1.02x
Cherry Hinton 1 217.39x
Cirencester 1 24.45x
Derby St Alkmund 1 13.83x
Exning 1 105.26x
Finchley 1 16.92x
Greenwich 1 4.08x
Hackney London 1 1.16x
Hemingford Abbots 1 476.19x
Holme Lacy 1 588.24x
Holy Trinity 1 2.72x
Kensington London 1 1.17x
Rotherhithe 1 5.25x
St Giles In Fields London 1 13.23x
Stanton All Sts 1 454.55x
Stockton On Tees 1 4.52x
Wollaton 1 263.16x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bowd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bowd surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Bowd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Bowd surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 327 in 2016. That gives Bowd a modern rank of #13,868.

What does the Bowd map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bowd bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.