NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowdler

A surname derived from the practice of expurgating or censoring written material.

In the 1881 census there were 602 people recorded with the Bowdler surname, ranking it #5,818 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 888, ranked #6,363, down from #5,818 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna and Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, North East Derbyshire and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowdler is 946 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.5%.

1881 census count

602

Ranked #5,818

Modern count

888

2016, ranked #6,363

Peak year

2000

946 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowdler had 602 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,818 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 888 in 2016, ranked #6,363.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 904 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowdler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowdler surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowdler 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 469 #5,291
1861 historical 370 #6,899
1881 historical 602 #5,818
1891 historical 674 #5,786
1901 historical 846 #5,379
1911 historical 904 #4,934
1997 modern 882 #6,061
1998 modern 920 #6,048
1999 modern 935 #6,026
2000 modern 946 #5,942
2001 modern 918 #5,987
2002 modern 920 #6,100
2003 modern 885 #6,164
2004 modern 893 #6,132
2005 modern 867 #6,206
2006 modern 868 #6,215
2007 modern 869 #6,269
2008 modern 880 #6,245
2009 modern 894 #6,305
2010 modern 904 #6,361
2011 modern 899 #6,330
2012 modern 929 #6,098
2013 modern 916 #6,264
2014 modern 899 #6,379
2015 modern 898 #6,336
2016 modern 888 #6,363

Geography

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Where Bowdlers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Dawley, Magna, Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace and East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, North East Derbyshire, Shropshire, Wigan and South Staffordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
3 Shrewsbury St Chad, Wroxeter, Atcham, Berrington Shropshire
4 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
5 East Dean, Little Dean, Flaxley, Abinghall, Weston-under-Penyard (Ross, Herefordshire), Lea (Ross, H Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
2 North East Derbyshire 011 North East Derbyshire
3 Shropshire 019 Shropshire
4 Wigan 030 Wigan
5 South Staffordshire 007 South Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowdler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowdler

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bowdler, 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 Bowdler surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bowdler 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, Bowdler 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

Bowdler is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowdler 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 Bowdler 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 Bowdler, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bowdler

The surname Bowdler originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from an old English occupational name for a maker or seller of bowls, originating from the Old English word "bolle" or "bolla" meaning bowl.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where it is spelled "Boller." The surname is also found in various other medieval records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where it appears as "Boulder."

In the 16th century, the name was commonly spelled "Bowdler" or "Bowdeler." This spelling is found in the parish records of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, suggesting that the name was particularly prevalent in these areas.

One notable figure associated with the name is Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), an English physician and editor who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare's plays in 1818. His edition, which aimed to remove passages deemed inappropriate or offensive, gave rise to the term "bowdlerize" meaning to censor or expurgate.

Another individual of historical significance was John Bowdler (1783-1815), a British painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of scenes around London.

In the 18th century, the Bowdler family was prominent in the English county of Somerset. John Bowdler (1695-1765) was a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton from 1741 to 1747.

The name also appears in early American records, with Peter Bowdler (1642-1706) being one of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname in the American colonies. He was a merchant and landowner in Boston, Massachusetts.

Another notable Bowdler was Jane Bowdler (1835-1918), an English novelist and writer who published several works of fiction and non-fiction, including "Kingsmead" and "The Mistress of Langdale Hall."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowdler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowdler 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. Shropshire leads with 242 Bowdlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.86x.

County Total Index
Shropshire 242 47.86x
Staffordshire 88 4.45x
Lancashire 47 0.68x
Worcestershire 39 5.10x
Middlesex 31 0.53x
Warwickshire 31 2.10x
Gloucestershire 24 2.09x
Herefordshire 21 8.75x
Surrey 13 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 12 1.52x
Cheshire 11 0.85x
Monmouthshire 9 2.13x
Durham 8 0.46x
Yorkshire 6 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 5 3.73x
Essex 4 0.35x
Lincolnshire 3 0.32x
Hertfordshire 2 0.50x
Sussex 2 0.20x
Lanarkshire 1 0.05x
Suffolk 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Shrewsbury St Chad in Shropshire leads with 57 Bowdlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 321.13x.

Place Total Index
Shrewsbury St Chad 57 321.13x
Madeley 34 183.39x
Dawley 23 125.00x
Wolverhampton 17 11.19x
Cardeston 15 2678.57x
Birmingham 14 2.85x
Flaxley 14 542.64x
Lambeth 12 2.35x
Nottingham St Mary 12 5.88x
Shrewsbury St Julian 12 95.92x
Wrockwardine 12 107.91x
Kidderminster Borough 11 24.59x
Toxteth Park 11 4.68x
Stoke Upon Trent 10 4.77x
Westbury On Severn East 10 38.54x
Bridgnorth St Mary 9 182.56x
Bromley London 9 6.99x
Stourbridge 9 45.76x
Tenbury 9 214.80x
Albrighton 8 327.87x
Aston 8 1.97x
Blackburn 8 4.33x
Crook Billy Row 8 35.87x
Hodnet 8 202.53x
Shrewsbury St Mary 8 40.10x
Everton 7 3.16x
Kingswinford 7 9.76x
Stretton 7 1489.36x
Bedwellty 6 8.03x
Habberley 6 2142.86x
Hackney London 6 1.83x
Hammerwich 6 214.29x
Haslington 6 165.29x
Leominster 6 60.42x
Lugwardine 6 394.74x
Upper Penn 6 121.21x
Walsall Foreign 6 5.88x
Much Cowarne 5 500.00x
W Felton 5 232.56x
York St George 5 109.41x
Bidford 4 126.58x
Bilston 4 10.45x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 7.25x
Chester St Oswald 4 17.10x
Condover 4 112.36x
Coventry St Michael 4 8.44x
Kirkham 4 43.57x
Lilleshall 4 51.75x
Mile End Old Town London 4 3.21x
Much Wenlock 4 85.84x
Paddington London 4 1.86x
West Ham 4 1.57x
Ardwick 3 4.79x
Ellesmere 3 34.56x
Kings Norton 3 4.38x
Kinnerley 3 124.48x
Pool 3 29.64x
Poplar London 3 2.72x
Preston Gubbals 3 348.84x
St Woollos 3 6.35x
Wednesbury 3 6.08x
Wednesfield 3 10.32x
Wellington 3 10.56x
Worthen 3 55.87x
Amblecote 2 35.52x
Baschurch 2 57.80x
Cannock 2 5.80x
Edgton 2 444.44x
Great Crosby 2 10.57x
Kensington London 2 0.61x
Middleton On Hill 2 253.16x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 5.72x
Redbourn 2 45.35x
Rugeley 2 14.10x
Smallthorne 2 27.29x
St Pancras London 2 0.42x
Stamford St John 2 157.48x
Tettenhall 2 16.56x
Tong 2 196.08x
Willenhall 1 2.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 41
Sarah 25
Elizabeth 20
Jane 20
Ann 17
Harriet 12
Alice 11
Martha 11
Eliza 8
Ellen 7
Emily 7
Annie 6
Fanny 6
Hannah 5
Caroline 4
Clara 4
Emma 4
Amy 3
Anne 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Agnes 2
Beatrice 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Elenor 2
Elizh. 2
Gertrude 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Maryann 2
Millicent 2
Minnie 2
Rose 2
Adah 1
Allice 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Blanche 1
Easter 1
Elily 1
Eliz.Ann 1
Elizh.R. 1
Hannal 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 40
John 34
William 32
George 20
James 16
Charles 15
Richard 14
Henry 12
Joseph 12
Arthur 10
Edward 10
Harry 6
Alfred 5
Thos. 5
Benjamin 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Wm. 3
Daniel 2
Edwd. 2
Frank 2
Fredrick 2
Herbert 2
Percy 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Stephen 2
Audley 1
Chas. 1
Clement 1
Danield 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edwd.J.M. 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Josh.J. 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Rich.Hope 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Russell 1
Sumner 1

FAQ

Bowdler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowdler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 602 people were recorded with the Bowdler surname. That placed it at #5,818 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowdler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 888 in 2016. That gives Bowdler a modern rank of #6,363.

What does the Bowdler surname mean?

A surname derived from the practice of expurgating or censoring written material.

What does the Bowdler map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bowdler 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.