NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowen

A Welsh toponymic surname derived from ap Owen, meaning "son of Owen," or from a place name meaning "cattle enclosure."

In the 1881 census there were 12,380 people recorded with the Bowen surname, ranking it #343 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 16,908, ranked #371, down from #343 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowen is 17,041 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.6%.

1881 census count

12,380

Ranked #343

Modern count

16,908

2016, ranked #371

Peak year

2014

17,041 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowen had 12,380 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #343 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 16,908 in 2016, ranked #371.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,992 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowen surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bowen 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 8,247 #333
1861 historical 7,570 #373
1881 historical 12,380 #343
1891 historical 12,006 #371
1901 historical 14,674 #362
1911 historical 15,992 #305
1997 modern 16,357 #367
1998 modern 16,892 #370
1999 modern 17,003 #370
2000 modern 16,873 #371
2001 modern 16,386 #373
2002 modern 16,810 #370
2003 modern 16,383 #372
2004 modern 16,246 #374
2005 modern 15,928 #375
2006 modern 15,996 #371
2007 modern 16,067 #375
2008 modern 16,202 #372
2009 modern 16,641 #372
2010 modern 16,993 #374
2011 modern 16,762 #374
2012 modern 16,579 #371
2013 modern 17,013 #372
2014 modern 17,041 #373
2015 modern 16,916 #373
2016 modern 16,908 #371

Geography

Back to top

Where Bowens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Merthyr Tydfil, Bedwelty and Llanelly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Llanelly Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Carmarthenshire 016 Carmarthenshire
3 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire
4 Carmarthenshire 019 Carmarthenshire
5 Carmarthenshire 003 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bowen

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bowen

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

Bowen 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

Bowen falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bowen 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 Bowen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bowen

The surname Bowen is believed to have originated from Wales, derived from the Welsh personal name "Ap Owen" meaning "son of Owen." The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in the region of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The name Bowen is thought to be a variant spelling of the Welsh surname Bywion, which is derived from the Welsh word "byw" meaning "alive" or "living." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive name or nickname for someone who exhibited a lively or energetic personality.

In the 14th century, records show the name being spelled as "Ap Owen" and "Abowen," indicating the gradual transition towards the modern spelling of "Bowen." During this time, the name began to spread beyond Wales and into other parts of England.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Bowen can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already established a presence in England by the 11th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Bowen throughout history include:

1. Christopher Bowen (1585-1644), an English merchant and explorer who established the first permanent English settlement in Barbados. 2. Silas Bowen (1625-1698), a Welsh Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Woodstock, Connecticut. 3. William Bowen (1663-1714), an English mathematician and the second Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford. 4. John Bowen (1767-1835), an English naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Barbados and the British Virgin Islands. 5. Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973), an acclaimed Irish novelist and short-story writer, known for her novels "The Last September" and "The Heat of the Day."

The name Bowen has also been associated with several place names, such as Bowen Island in British Columbia, Canada, and the town of Bowen in Queensland, Australia, both named after individuals bearing the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bowen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowen 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. Glamorgan leads with 2,375 Bowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.29x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 2,375 11.29x
Carmarthenshire 1,310 25.73x
Pembrokeshire 901 23.47x
Shropshire 864 8.28x
Middlesex 773 0.64x
Lancashire 620 0.43x
Staffordshire 618 1.52x
Monmouthshire 476 5.45x
Worcestershire 417 2.64x
Warwickshire 340 1.12x
Herefordshire 329 6.64x
Surrey 323 0.55x
Yorkshire 270 0.23x
Kent 261 0.63x
Montgomeryshire 259 9.36x
Norfolk 238 1.28x
Gloucestershire 216 0.91x
Brecknockshire 202 8.36x
Cardiganshire 196 6.65x
Radnorshire 153 15.70x
Durham 141 0.39x
Cheshire 116 0.44x
Denbighshire 113 2.48x
Essex 103 0.43x
Devon 89 0.35x
Hampshire 79 0.32x
Derbyshire 69 0.36x
Oxfordshire 65 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 58 0.36x
Somerset 45 0.23x
Caernarfonshire 36 0.74x
Flintshire 31 0.95x
Suffolk 27 0.18x
Cambridgeshire 22 0.29x
Northumberland 22 0.12x
Sussex 21 0.10x
Channel Islands 19 0.53x
Hertfordshire 16 0.19x
Cornwall 15 0.11x
Lincolnshire 15 0.08x
Berkshire 14 0.15x
Merionethshire 14 0.63x
Northamptonshire 13 0.11x
Anglesey 12 0.56x
Wiltshire 11 0.10x
Cumberland 10 0.10x
Bedfordshire 8 0.13x
Lanarkshire 8 0.02x
Royal Navy 8 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.10x
Kincardineshire 7 0.48x
Dorset 6 0.08x
Leicestershire 6 0.04x
Angus 5 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.08x
Fife 1 0.01x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Peeblesshire 1 0.18x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x
Westmorland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanelly in Carmarthenshire leads with 458 Bowens recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.94x.

Place Total Index
Llanelly 458 39.94x
Ystradyfodwg 242 13.12x
Aberdare 199 13.78x
Swansea Town 192 11.13x
Merthyr Tydfil 179 8.85x
Birmingham 155 1.53x
Clase 124 15.86x
Bedwellty 105 6.81x
Aston 93 1.11x
Ruabon 89 14.18x
St Pancras London 78 0.80x
Llanguick 74 19.64x
Carmarthen St Peter 73 16.78x
Cwmdu 72 28.10x
Islington London 71 0.61x
Newport 66 15.84x
Treleachar Bettws 64 116.28x
Cardiff St Mary 62 5.35x
Coedfrank 62 42.55x
Llanwonno 61 8.07x
Blaenhonddan 59 60.26x
Rhyndwyclydach 59 40.43x
Wolverhampton 58 1.85x
Neath 55 12.85x
Llandilo Fawr 52 22.91x
Battersea 51 1.15x
Liverpool 51 0.59x
Swansea St Thomas 50 23.66x
Trevethin 50 6.06x
Lambeth 49 0.47x
Salford 49 1.16x
Sedgley 49 3.24x
St Davids 48 55.26x
St Marylebone London 48 0.74x
St Woollos 48 4.93x
Stourbridge 47 11.58x
Swansea Higher 47 21.45x
Camberwell 46 0.60x
Kensington London 46 0.68x
Kilgerran 46 99.42x
Cilybebill 45 56.07x
Madeley 44 11.50x
Bethnal Green London 42 0.80x
Everton 42 0.92x
Llangendeirne 42 44.49x
West Bromwich 42 1.80x
Ditton Priors 40 161.23x
Kilrhedyn 40 99.83x
Birkenhead 39 1.83x
Llangennech 39 47.83x
Manchester 39 0.61x
Wellington 39 6.65x
Llantrisant 38 7.17x
Pembrey 38 16.23x
Roath 38 3.98x
Cardigan St Mary 37 32.78x
Kingswinford 37 2.50x
St George Hanover Square 37 1.74x
Stoke Upon Trent 37 0.86x
Tenby St Mary In 37 18.93x
Llandilo Talybont 36 32.60x
Llangynwyd Higher 36 35.64x
Llansamlet Lower 36 18.91x
Bermondsey 35 0.97x
Handsworth 35 3.48x
Milton In Gravesend 35 5.66x
Coventry Holy Trinity 34 3.74x
Oldbury 34 4.38x
Stockton On Tees 34 1.96x
Walsall Foreign 34 1.61x
Aberystruth 33 4.29x
Cardiff St John 33 4.80x
Pembroke St Mary 33 6.68x
St John Near Swansea 33 12.69x
West Derby 33 0.79x
Bilston 32 4.05x
Kidderminster Borough 32 3.47x
Paddington London 32 0.72x
Nevern 31 56.92x
Swansea Lower 31 28.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,064
Elizabeth 565
Sarah 464
Margaret 328
Ann 280
Jane 248
Martha 175
Hannah 167
Eliza 156
Ellen 133
Alice 128
Annie 120
Emma 112
Anne 111
Catherine 108
Emily 88
Maria 67
Charlotte 61
Rachel 60
Harriet 57
Esther 56
Edith 54
Louisa 42
Caroline 41
Agnes 39
Susan 39
Florence 37
Frances 35
Ada 33
Lucy 32
Fanny 30
Amelia 28
Eleanor 27
Kate 27
Anna 26
Clara 26
Sophia 25
Susannah 25
Elizth. 21
Isabella 20
Rebecca 20
Rose 20
Harriett 19
Amy 18
Jessie 18
Julia 18
Lizzie 18
Margt. 17
Matilda 17
Margret 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 845
William 819
Thomas 661
David 401
James 362
George 287
Henry 180
Edward 156
Richard 128
Charles 127
Joseph 124
Benjamin 87
Samuel 86
Alfred 84
Robert 84
Daniel 82
Arthur 80
Evan 62
Frederick 60
Edwin 58
Walter 57
Wm. 47
Albert 40
Herbert 38
Francis 31
Owen 27
Frank 25
Thos. 24
Harry 23
Lewis 23
Isaac 21
Rees 21
Stephen 20
Ernest 19
Michael 15
Morgan 15
Griffith 14
Geo. 13
Peter 13
Hopkin 12
Percy 12
Alexander 11
Cornelius 11
Chas. 10
Edwd. 10
Jonathan 10
Willm. 10
Fredrick 9
Jno. 9
Philip 9

FAQ

Bowen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,380 people were recorded with the Bowen surname. That placed it at #343 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 16,908 in 2016. That gives Bowen a modern rank of #371.

What does the Bowen surname mean?

A Welsh toponymic surname derived from ap Owen, meaning "son of Owen," or from a place name meaning "cattle enclosure."

What does the Bowen map show?

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