NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowerman

An occupational surname referring to an archer or keeper of the bows.

In the 1881 census there were 883 people recorded with the Bowerman surname, ranking it #4,300 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,006, ranked #5,776, down from #4,300 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Oxford City: St Giles and Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Oxfordshire, Mansfield and Taunton Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowerman is 1,224 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.9%.

1881 census count

883

Ranked #4,300

Modern count

1,006

2016, ranked #5,776

Peak year

1911

1,224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowerman had 883 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,300 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,006 in 2016, ranked #5,776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,224 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowerman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowerman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowerman 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 525 #4,777
1861 historical 498 #5,253
1881 historical 883 #4,300
1891 historical 982 #4,208
1901 historical 1,108 #4,358
1911 historical 1,224 #3,859
1997 modern 998 #5,508
1998 modern 1,144 #5,087
1999 modern 1,126 #5,199
2000 modern 1,126 #5,171
2001 modern 1,093 #5,199
2002 modern 1,128 #5,177
2003 modern 1,061 #5,334
2004 modern 1,046 #5,409
2005 modern 1,024 #5,445
2006 modern 1,006 #5,540
2007 modern 1,018 #5,530
2008 modern 1,017 #5,575
2009 modern 1,030 #5,634
2010 modern 1,058 #5,612
2011 modern 1,065 #5,521
2012 modern 1,024 #5,631
2013 modern 1,040 #5,658
2014 modern 1,050 #5,624
2015 modern 1,027 #5,686
2016 modern 1,006 #5,776

Geography

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Where Bowermans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Oxford City: St Giles, Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth) and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Oxfordshire, Mansfield, Taunton Deane, Cherwell and Bristol. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Oxford City: St Giles Oxfordshire
3 Colaton Rawleigh, Withycombe Rawleigh (incl. pt Exmouth) Devon
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Oxfordshire 004 West Oxfordshire
2 Mansfield 001 Mansfield
3 Taunton Deane 014 Taunton Deane
4 Cherwell 017 Cherwell
5 Bristol 025 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowerman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowerman

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

Bowerman is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowerman falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bowerman

The surname Bowerman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "boga" meaning "bow" and "mann" meaning "man." It was originally an occupational surname given to bowmakers or archers. The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the 13th century in the county of Somerset, England.

During the medieval period, the Bowerman surname was prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It appeared in various spellings such as Bogerman, Bouerman, and Bowyrman in ancient records and manuscripts. One notable mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which lists a John Bowerman as a taxpayer.

In the 16th century, the Bowerman surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir William Bowerman (1537-1599), a prominent English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset. He was a staunch supporter of Queen Elizabeth I and played a significant role in the English Reformation.

Another notable Bowerman was Thomas Bowerman (1620-1676), an English Puritan minister and writer who published several religious works, including "The Watchman's Answer to the Question, What of the Night?" in 1661. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army.

In the 18th century, the Bowerman surname was associated with the village of Bowerman's Leigh in Gloucestershire, which was likely named after an early settler with the surname. A notable Bowerman from this era was John Bowerman (1733-1805), a renowned English architect who designed several churches and buildings in the Gloucestershire region.

The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Bowerman (1814-1883), an English politician and barrister who served as a Member of Parliament for Walsall. He was a vocal advocate for parliamentary reform and played a significant role in the extension of the franchise.

In the United States, one of the earliest known bearers of the Bowerman surname was William Bowerman (1654-1705), an English immigrant who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country, contributing to the spread of the surname across America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowerman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowerman 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. Oxfordshire leads with 185 Bowermans recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.70x.

County Total Index
Oxfordshire 185 34.70x
Somerset 131 9.43x
Devon 125 6.96x
Middlesex 110 1.27x
Surrey 70 1.66x
Gloucestershire 68 4.02x
Berkshire 25 3.86x
Warwickshire 24 1.10x
Hampshire 20 1.13x
Lancashire 20 0.20x
Essex 18 1.06x
Buckinghamshire 9 1.72x
Sussex 9 0.62x
Leicestershire 8 0.84x
Northumberland 7 0.55x
Pembrokeshire 7 2.55x
Yorkshire 7 0.08x
Kent 5 0.17x
Monmouthshire 5 0.80x
Shropshire 5 0.67x
Staffordshire 5 0.17x
Derbyshire 3 0.22x
Dorset 3 0.53x
Huntingdonshire 3 1.75x
Lanarkshire 3 0.11x
Northamptonshire 3 0.37x
Channel Islands 2 0.78x
Hertfordshire 2 0.34x
Herefordshire 1 0.28x
Westmorland 1 0.53x
Wiltshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kidlington in Oxfordshire leads with 45 Bowermans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1089.59x.

Place Total Index
Kidlington 45 1089.59x
Wellington 38 201.70x
Oxford St Giles 26 102.24x
Camberwell 23 4.17x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 18 11.29x
Withycombe Rawleigh 18 192.31x
Cowley 16 96.15x
Willesden 16 19.66x
Holcombe Rogus 15 691.24x
Aston 14 2.34x
Witney 14 156.95x
Hackney London 13 2.69x
Taunton St Mary 13 50.96x
Clerkenwell London 12 5.89x
Great Baddow 12 198.02x
Islip 12 674.16x
Lympston 12 373.83x
West Buckland 12 449.44x
Basingstoke 11 54.05x
Bridgewater 11 29.16x
Stoke Newington London 11 16.36x
Stroud 11 33.38x
Kenton 10 176.37x
Lambeth 10 1.33x
Bristol St Paul In 9 19.95x
Chalgrove 9 592.11x
Chelsea London 9 3.46x
Clifton 9 10.51x
Kensington London 9 1.88x
Bermondsey 8 3.11x
Bibury 8 392.16x
Deddington 8 138.17x
Haddenham 8 186.92x
Hampton Poyle 8 2105.26x
Woodstock 8 238.81x
Buckfastleigh 7 84.44x
Dewsbury 7 7.98x
Durston 7 1060.61x
Leicester St Margaret 7 3.00x
Llanstadwell 7 78.04x
Longbenton 7 12.87x
Lyncombe Widcombe 7 19.24x
Portsea 7 2.02x
Uplowman 7 593.22x
West Moulsey 7 358.97x
Bow London 6 5.46x
Cullompton 6 76.43x
Ensham 6 217.39x
Ilton 6 465.12x
Lydeard St Lawrence 6 384.62x
Plymouth Charles The 6 7.58x
Prestwich 6 23.47x
Sanderstead 6 530.97x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.94x
Teddington London 6 30.67x
Birmingham 5 0.69x
Bristol St Peter 5 82.64x
Burford 5 108.23x
Croydon 5 2.14x
Ditton 5 119.33x
Hastings St Mary 5 13.80x
Hemyock 5 186.57x
Islington London 5 0.60x
Reading St Giles 5 7.86x
St Woollos 5 7.18x
Stoneleigh 5 138.50x
Tiverton 5 16.16x
Abbas Combe 4 388.35x
Abingdon St Nicholas 4 222.22x
Bicester Market End 4 40.86x
Bradford 4 291.97x
Farnham 4 12.23x
Halberton 4 95.47x
Hulme 4 1.87x
Huxham 4 1025.64x
Leafield 4 189.57x
Paddington London 4 1.26x
Wiveliscombe 4 51.61x
Wytham 4 677.97x
Silverton 3 80.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 54
Elizabeth 37
Sarah 31
Ellen 18
Ann 17
Eliza 16
Emily 16
Alice 14
Emma 14
Annie 11
Jane 11
Agnes 10
Harriet 9
Kate 8
Maria 8
Edith 7
Fanny 7
Harriett 7
Louisa 7
Lucy 7
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Clara 6
Florence 6
Martha 6
Ada 5
Amelia 5
Hannah 5
Rosa 5
Rose 5
Susan 5
Bessie 4
Catherine 4
Elizth. 4
Sophia 4
Amy 3
Anne 3
Ellenor 3
Frances 3
Gertrude 3
Jessie 3
Matilda 3
Adelaide 2
Elizth 2
Flora 2
Grace 2
Helen 2
Henrietta 2
Julia 2
Margaret 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 47
James 36
George 34
Charles 22
Thomas 18
Henry 17
Frederick 15
Edward 14
Joseph 11
Alfred 10
Richard 10
Harry 9
Arthur 8
Robert 8
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Walter 6
Alexander 4
David 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Fred 3
Jesse 3
Edmund 2
Ernest 2
Fred. 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Giles 2
Herbert 2
Mark 2
Phillip 2
Purssey 2
Sidney 2
Tom 2
Bertie 1
Christopher 1
Dick 1
Fergus 1
Francis 1
Fras. 1
Isac 1
Ithamer 1
Jas. 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Milo 1
Willm.James 1

FAQ

Bowerman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowerman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 883 people were recorded with the Bowerman surname. That placed it at #4,300 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowerman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,006 in 2016. That gives Bowerman a modern rank of #5,776.

What does the Bowerman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to an archer or keeper of the bows.

What does the Bowerman map show?

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