NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowes

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bow" or "arch," likely referring to a curved landscape feature.

In the 1881 census there were 2,760 people recorded with the Bowes surname, ranking it #1,615 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,604, ranked #1,478, up from #1,615 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington and Kirby Moorside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Kingston upon Hull and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowes is 4,796 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 66.8%.

1881 census count

2,760

Ranked #1,615

Modern count

4,604

2016, ranked #1,478

Peak year

2010

4,796 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowes had 2,760 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,615 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,604 in 2016, ranked #1,478.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,774 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Bowes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowes 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 1,620 #1,775
1861 historical 1,840 #1,571
1881 historical 2,760 #1,615
1891 historical 2,967 #1,589
1901 historical 3,592 #1,560
1911 historical 3,774 #1,371
1997 modern 4,578 #1,428
1998 modern 4,737 #1,438
1999 modern 4,748 #1,447
2000 modern 4,789 #1,421
2001 modern 4,648 #1,434
2002 modern 4,785 #1,424
2003 modern 4,620 #1,440
2004 modern 4,596 #1,445
2005 modern 4,521 #1,448
2006 modern 4,535 #1,443
2007 modern 4,569 #1,447
2008 modern 4,596 #1,446
2009 modern 4,747 #1,438
2010 modern 4,796 #1,456
2011 modern 4,685 #1,466
2012 modern 4,557 #1,482
2013 modern 4,638 #1,485
2014 modern 4,700 #1,470
2015 modern 4,659 #1,466
2016 modern 4,604 #1,478

Geography

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Where Bowes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Darlington, Kirby Moorside, London parishes and Gateshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Kingston upon Hull, Hambleton and Ryedale. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Darlington Durham
3 Kirby Moorside Yorkshire, North Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Gateshead Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 029 County Durham
2 Kingston upon Hull 001 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Hambleton 008 Hambleton
4 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
5 County Durham 040 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bowes, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Bowes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bowes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bowes 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

Bowes 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

Bowes falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bowes

The surname BOWES has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "boga," meaning "a bough" or "a bow," potentially referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree or worked as a bowmaker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOWES can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bogas" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was well-established in Northern England by the late 11th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms, such as Boges, Bogis, and Bowgis, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The spelling "BOWES" became more standardized during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Interestingly, the BOWES surname is also associated with several place names in England, particularly in County Durham and Yorkshire. For example, the town of Bowes in County Durham is believed to have derived its name from the same Old English root as the surname.

One notable historical figure bearing the BOWES surname was Sir Robert Bowes (1493-1556), a prominent English diplomat and military commander during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He served as the Captain of Norham Castle and played a crucial role in the Anglo-Scottish conflicts of the time.

Another prominent individual was Sir Martin Bowes (1500-1566), a goldsmith and Lord Mayor of London in 1545. He was known for his wealth and influence in the City of London during the Tudor period.

In the 17th century, Sir Jerome Bowes (1599-1637) was an English traveler and ambassador to Russia, known for his accounts of his travels and his diplomatic missions to the court of Tsar Michael I.

The BOWES family also produced several notable figures in the arts, including John Bowes (1804-1885), an English entrepreneur and art collector who founded the Bowes Museum in County Durham, which houses an impressive collection of European fine and decorative arts.

Finally, Andrew Robinson Bowes (1839-1910) was a British politician and landowner who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Wensleydale division of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1892 to 1910.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowes 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. Yorkshire leads with 927 Bowes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 927 3.49x
Durham 479 6.00x
Lancashire 282 0.89x
Cumberland 184 7.97x
Kent 115 1.26x
Middlesex 103 0.38x
Northumberland 103 2.58x
Lanarkshire 80 0.92x
Norfolk 51 1.24x
Surrey 50 0.38x
Midlothian 43 1.20x
Cheshire 42 0.71x
Ayrshire 32 1.59x
Sussex 28 0.62x
Suffolk 21 0.64x
Renfrewshire 20 0.96x
Angus 19 0.76x
Staffordshire 14 0.15x
Derbyshire 13 0.31x
Essex 13 0.25x
Hampshire 13 0.24x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.74x
Lincolnshire 11 0.26x
Warwickshire 11 0.16x
Dunbartonshire 8 1.11x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.41x
Herefordshire 7 0.64x
Northamptonshire 7 0.28x
Anglesey 6 1.26x
Devon 6 0.11x
Glamorgan 6 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.84x
Somerset 4 0.09x
Hertfordshire 3 0.16x
Leicestershire 3 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.08x
Berwickshire 2 0.62x
Channel Islands 2 0.25x
Denbighshire 2 0.20x
Gloucestershire 2 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.12x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.12x
Shropshire 1 0.04x
Stirlingshire 1 0.10x
Westmorland 1 0.17x
Wigtownshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkby Moorside in Yorkshire leads with 78 Bowes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 460.99x.

Place Total Index
Kirkby Moorside 78 460.99x
Stranton 43 16.01x
Dalston 33 184.98x
Liverpool 33 1.71x
Middlesbrough 32 9.25x
Darlington 30 9.74x
Milton In Milton 30 77.14x
Scarborough 28 11.60x
Glasgow 27 1.75x
Leeds 27 1.80x
Stockton On Tees 27 7.02x
Bradford 25 3.89x
Maidstone 25 9.17x
Manchester 24 1.68x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 24 10.07x
Barrow In Furness 23 5.31x
Brandon Byshottles 23 23.01x
Toxteth Park 23 2.13x
Tudhoe 23 32.95x
Wolsingham 23 31.63x
Barughs Ambo 21 875.00x
Hutton Bushell 20 435.73x
Millom 20 28.27x
Barony 19 0.87x
Everton 19 1.87x
Bewerley 18 164.68x
Westgate 18 7.28x
Bishopwearmouth 17 2.48x
Bowling 17 6.46x
Nawton 17 527.95x
Snilesworth 17 1789.47x
Walkerfield 17 1452.99x
West Rainton 17 68.85x
Chelsea London 16 1.98x
Gateshead 16 2.68x
Horton In Bradford 16 3.86x
Sedgefield 16 56.26x
Shildon 16 24.96x
Hammersmith London 15 2.27x
Burnley 14 5.22x
Framwellgate 14 29.62x
Preston 14 1.64x
West Auckland 14 47.99x
Workington 14 10.59x
Brighton 13 1.43x
Crosscanonby 13 17.03x
Elsing 13 362.12x
Elswick 13 4.08x
Farndale East Side 13 381.23x
Osmotherley 13 153.85x
Bermondsey 12 1.50x
Cockermouth 12 24.69x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 0.83x
Elland Cum Greetland 12 10.02x
Gate Fulford 12 19.34x
Pendleton In Salford 12 3.17x
Ridley 12 606.06x
Seamer In Scarborough 12 140.02x
Wortley In Bramley 12 5.70x
Cockfield 11 98.83x
Collierley 11 30.95x
Dundee 11 1.19x
Govan 11 0.51x
Middleton St George 11 110.11x
Ormesby 11 15.40x
Ramsgate 11 7.37x
Sawley In Ripon 11 322.58x
Abbey 10 3.15x
Appleton Le Street 10 613.50x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 2.89x
Herne 10 24.69x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 4.84x
Over Dinsdale 10 1063.83x
Skelton In Guisbrough 10 13.91x
Thornaby 10 10.07x
Wigan 10 2.25x
Wombleton 10 370.37x
Hutton Le Hole 9 358.57x
Kilmarnock 9 3.77x
Sneaton 9 422.54x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 181
Elizabeth 114
Jane 89
Margaret 79
Sarah 72
Ann 62
Annie 51
Hannah 44
Alice 36
Ellen 26
Eliza 25
Emily 23
Isabella 22
Emma 21
Martha 19
Catherine 17
Florence 13
Anne 12
Rebecca 12
Edith 11
Harriet 11
Ada 10
Frances 9
Louisa 9
Maria 9
Fanny 8
Grace 7
Ruth 7
Betsy 6
Charlotte 6
Dinah 6
Eleanor 6
Laura 6
Amy 5
Clara 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Margret 5
Margt. 5
Minnie 5
Rachel 5
Agnes 4
Amelia 4
Anna 4
Bertha 4
Caroline 4
Dorothy 4
Esther 4
Flora 4
Harriett 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 204
William 166
Thomas 102
George 96
James 72
Joseph 59
Robert 54
Charles 34
Richard 29
Henry 27
Edward 25
Alfred 22
Arthur 17
Wm. 14
Ernest 13
Francis 13
Tom 13
Frederick 12
Harry 12
Samuel 12
David 10
Isaac 10
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Frank 8
Walter 8
Christopher 6
Matthew 6
Ralph 6
Benjamin 5
Hugh 5
Michael 5
Daniel 4
Fred 4
Jeffrey 4
Thos. 4
Alexander 3
Edgar 3
Edmund 3
Geo. 3
Jeremiah 3
Patrick 3
Roger 3
Simpson 3
Stephen 3
Allen 2
Arnold 2
Denis 2
Mary 2
Peter 2

FAQ

Bowes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,760 people were recorded with the Bowes surname. That placed it at #1,615 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,604 in 2016. That gives Bowes a modern rank of #1,478.

What does the Bowes surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bow" or "arch," likely referring to a curved landscape feature.

What does the Bowes map show?

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