NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowers

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows, or an archer.

In the 1881 census there were 5,454 people recorded with the Bowers surname, ranking it #817 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,943, ranked #732, up from #817 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wolstanton and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, North Lincolnshire and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowers is 9,316 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.0%.

1881 census count

5,454

Ranked #817

Modern count

8,943

2016, ranked #732

Peak year

2010

9,316 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowers had 5,454 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #817 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,943 in 2016, ranked #732.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,448 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowers 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 3,155 #918
1861 historical 3,188 #903
1881 historical 5,454 #817
1891 historical 5,899 #799
1901 historical 6,848 #810
1911 historical 7,448 #695
1997 modern 8,442 #751
1998 modern 9,168 #717
1999 modern 9,164 #723
2000 modern 9,105 #723
2001 modern 8,907 #723
2002 modern 9,083 #728
2003 modern 8,831 #729
2004 modern 8,930 #720
2005 modern 8,794 #722
2006 modern 8,788 #724
2007 modern 8,797 #730
2008 modern 8,808 #733
2009 modern 9,113 #722
2010 modern 9,316 #721
2011 modern 9,254 #719
2012 modern 9,036 #718
2013 modern 9,135 #725
2014 modern 9,169 #727
2015 modern 9,058 #728
2016 modern 8,943 #732

Geography

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Where Bowers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wolstanton, Burslem and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, North Lincolnshire, High Peak, Southampton and Mid Suffolk. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
2 North Lincolnshire 013 North Lincolnshire
3 High Peak 006 High Peak
4 Southampton 027 Southampton
5 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowers

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bowers is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bowers is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bowers

The surname Bowers is an English occupational name derived from the Middle English word "bower," meaning a bowmaker or fletcher who crafted longbows. It originated in the 13th century and was common in areas like Yorkshire and Lancashire, where archery and bowmaking were prevalent.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where a Thomas le Bower is mentioned. Another early record is found in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, which lists a John Bower.

The name is also closely linked to various place names like Bower in Gloucestershire, Bower Chalke in Wiltshire, and Bower Hills in Nottinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals with the occupational surname Bower or Bowers.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was John Bowers, a 15th-century English theologian and scholar who was born in Suffolk around 1420. He studied at Oxford University and became a renowned preacher and author of several religious works.

In the 16th century, Edward Bowers (1550-1612) was a prominent English politician and Member of Parliament for Pembroke. He served as the High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire and was involved in various legal disputes and controversies during his career.

Sir John Bowers (1594-1658) was a renowned English naval officer and parliamentarian who played a significant role in the English Civil War. He served as a Vice-Admiral in the Commonwealth Navy and was instrumental in several key naval victories against the Dutch.

Another notable figure was George Bowers (1663-1700), an English pirate and privateer who operated in the Caribbean and along the coast of North America. He was eventually captured and executed for his piracy activities.

In the 19th century, John Bowers (1811-1879) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the National Portrait Gallery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowers 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. Lancashire leads with 777 Bowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 777 1.23x
Staffordshire 610 3.39x
Middlesex 460 0.86x
Yorkshire 449 0.85x
Cheshire 373 3.17x
Suffolk 323 4.98x
Surrey 267 1.03x
Hampshire 235 2.15x
Norfolk 190 2.32x
Kent 169 0.93x
Cambridgeshire 159 4.71x
Essex 156 1.48x
Lincolnshire 149 1.75x
Sussex 121 1.35x
Warwickshire 95 0.71x
Shropshire 93 2.02x
Derbyshire 90 1.08x
Worcestershire 73 1.05x
Devon 71 0.64x
Durham 54 0.34x
Oxfordshire 53 1.61x
Gloucestershire 49 0.47x
Lanarkshire 48 0.28x
Bedfordshire 44 1.59x
Midlothian 37 0.52x
Nottinghamshire 37 0.52x
Herefordshire 34 1.56x
Hertfordshire 32 0.87x
Northamptonshire 30 0.60x
Fife 24 0.76x
Somerset 23 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.59x
Glamorgan 19 0.20x
Cumberland 11 0.24x
Leicestershire 10 0.17x
Angus 9 0.18x
Berkshire 8 0.20x
Monmouthshire 8 0.21x
Royal Navy 8 1.26x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.12x
West Lothian 6 0.75x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.22x
Flintshire 5 0.35x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.30x
Roxburghshire 3 0.31x
Wiltshire 3 0.06x
Dorset 2 0.06x
Isle of Man 2 0.20x
Northumberland 2 0.03x
Brecknockshire 1 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
East Lothian 1 0.14x
Perthshire 1 0.04x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x
Rutland 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 113 Bowers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.92x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 113 5.92x
Wolstanton 99 18.12x
West Ham 89 3.83x
Oldham 80 3.92x
Burslem 75 14.55x
Islington London 67 1.30x
Ashton Under Lyne 50 3.62x
Macclesfield 50 9.56x
Manchester 44 1.55x
Stockport 44 7.27x
Great Waldingfield 43 401.49x
St Pancras London 43 1.00x
Great Wratting 40 559.44x
Salford 40 2.15x
Aston 38 1.03x
Camberwell 36 1.06x
Portsea 36 1.68x
Barony 33 0.76x
Gorton 33 5.55x
Horseheath 32 321.93x
Millbrook 32 11.63x
Lambeth 31 0.67x
Lewisham 31 3.20x
Glossop Dale 30 7.68x
Stone 30 13.04x
Alverstoke 28 7.08x
Shoreditch London 28 1.21x
Bradford 26 8.78x
Hulme 26 1.97x
Southery 26 120.20x
Plawsworth 25 145.52x
Ardwick 24 4.21x
Bradford 24 1.88x
Chorlton On Medlock 24 2.39x
Marple 24 29.72x
Stoodleigh 24 298.88x
Audley 23 12.92x
Kensington London 23 0.78x
Landbeach 23 247.31x
St Marylebone London 23 0.81x
Broughton In Salford 22 3.80x
Haughton 22 23.85x
Heaton Norris 22 6.11x
Leeds 21 0.70x
Newington 21 1.07x
Broughton 20 83.82x
Dawley 20 11.94x
Mile End Old Town London 20 1.76x
Openshaw 20 6.75x
Shitlington 20 36.61x
Wolverhampton 20 1.45x
Pontesbury 19 33.93x
Stafford St Mary 19 7.46x
Croydon 18 1.25x
Droylsden 18 8.73x
Everton 18 0.89x
Horbury 18 19.48x
Monks Eleigh 18 170.78x
Poplar London 18 1.79x
West Derby 18 0.97x
Batley 17 3.39x
Newton 17 3.49x
Tonge 17 12.81x
Birmingham 16 0.36x
Chester St Oswald 16 7.51x
Colwall 16 59.06x
Ecclesall Bierlow 16 1.49x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 0.56x
Eyam 16 68.70x
Hackney London 16 0.54x
Preston 16 292.50x
St Luke London 16 1.87x
Wolstanton Chesterton 16 17.40x
Aldershot 15 4.10x
Bethnal Green London 15 0.65x
Burwell 15 37.09x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 15 12.31x
Clerkenwell London 15 1.19x
Denton 15 10.70x
Long Melford 15 24.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 347
Sarah 231
Elizabeth 218
Eliza 112
Jane 103
Ann 102
Emma 91
Hannah 83
Ellen 76
Martha 76
Alice 68
Annie 65
Emily 59
Harriet 50
Louisa 35
Clara 32
Maria 32
Caroline 30
Fanny 28
Edith 26
Kate 26
Ada 25
Charlotte 24
Florence 23
Rose 23
Margaret 22
Catherine 21
Eleanor 21
Lucy 20
Susan 20
Frances 18
Anne 17
Amy 16
Julia 16
Susannah 16
Agnes 15
Matilda 15
Amelia 14
Elizth. 14
Helen 12
Isabella 12
Rebecca 12
Betsy 11
Esther 11
Ruth 11
Selina 11
Laura 10
Harriett 8
Minnie 8
Nancy 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 348
John 281
George 177
Thomas 159
James 152
Charles 133
Henry 121
Joseph 116
Alfred 67
Samuel 67
Robert 64
Arthur 58
Edward 52
Frederick 51
Walter 51
Albert 31
Richard 31
Frank 26
Harry 25
Ernest 23
Peter 21
Edwin 17
Fred 16
Herbert 15
Benjamin 14
Wm. 14
David 13
Eli 12
Daniel 10
Tom 10
Abraham 9
Thos. 9
Mark 8
Reuben 8
Chas. 7
Christopher 7
Francis 7
Geo. 7
Isaac 7
Mathew 7
Ralph 7
Edmund 6
Jacob 6
Jonathan 6
Matthew 6
Percy 6
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Elijah 5
Joe 5

FAQ

Bowers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,454 people were recorded with the Bowers surname. That placed it at #817 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,943 in 2016. That gives Bowers a modern rank of #732.

What does the Bowers surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows, or an archer.

What does the Bowers map show?

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