NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowles

Derived from the Old English word for "bull," likely referring to a person who kept cattle or had a bull-like temperament.

In the 1881 census there were 4,884 people recorded with the Bowles surname, ranking it #910 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,113, ranked #1,108, down from #910 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gillingham and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, Wycombe and Swindon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowles is 6,813 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.2%.

1881 census count

4,884

Ranked #910

Modern count

6,113

2016, ranked #1,108

Peak year

1999

6,813 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowles had 4,884 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #910 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,113 in 2016, ranked #1,108.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,788 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bowles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bowles 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 2,894 #1,003
1861 historical 2,888 #1,003
1881 historical 4,884 #910
1891 historical 5,237 #894
1901 historical 6,157 #904
1911 historical 6,788 #763
1997 modern 6,555 #991
1998 modern 6,774 #996
1999 modern 6,813 #998
2000 modern 6,765 #998
2001 modern 6,586 #1,002
2002 modern 6,695 #1,008
2003 modern 6,482 #1,025
2004 modern 6,507 #1,020
2005 modern 6,298 #1,041
2006 modern 6,227 #1,052
2007 modern 6,206 #1,065
2008 modern 6,205 #1,067
2009 modern 6,340 #1,067
2010 modern 6,411 #1,082
2011 modern 6,323 #1,084
2012 modern 6,138 #1,093
2013 modern 6,266 #1,088
2014 modern 6,272 #1,096
2015 modern 6,207 #1,095
2016 modern 6,113 #1,108

Geography

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Where Bowles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gillingham, St Pancras and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, Wycombe and Swindon. 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 Gillingham Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 009 Great Yarmouth
2 Wycombe 022 Wycombe
3 Great Yarmouth 010 Great Yarmouth
4 Swindon 009 Swindon
5 Swindon 013 Swindon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bowles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bowles

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bowles is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bowles 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bowles

The surname Bowles is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "bolle," meaning a small rounded hill or knoll. It was likely originally a topographic name, given to someone who lived near or on such a geographical feature.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Bolles" in Berkshire and Wiltshire counties. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also sometimes spelled as "Boll," "Bolle," or "Boules," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common at the time. Some early bearers of the name include Robert de Boll, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, and Adam de Bolle, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1275.

The name Bowles has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Robert Bowles (c. 1492-1573), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Edward Bowles (1613-1676), an English Presbyterian minister and writer who was ejected from his parish after the Restoration.

In the 18th century, William Bowles (1705-1780) was a renowned English naturalist and writer on natural history, while William Lisle Bowles (1762-1850) was a poet and critic who served as the chaplain to the Prince Regent. Reverend John Bowles (1751-1819) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his work "The Antiquities of Bamburgh."

Moving into the 19th century, Samuel Bowles (1826-1878) was an influential American newspaper publisher and editor who founded the Republican newspaper in Springfield, Massachusetts. His son, Samuel Bowles III (1851-1915), continued the family business and was also a noted philanthropist.

Throughout its history, the name Bowles has been found not only in England but also in other parts of the British Isles, as well as in North America and other English-speaking regions. It has been associated with various occupations and social classes, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bowles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowles 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. Kent leads with 674 Bowles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.13x.

County Total Index
Kent 674 4.13x
Middlesex 652 1.36x
Surrey 379 1.63x
Norfolk 339 4.61x
Gloucestershire 255 2.72x
Lancashire 209 0.37x
Sussex 205 2.54x
Wiltshire 192 4.54x
Yorkshire 162 0.34x
Essex 161 1.71x
Hampshire 153 1.56x
Berkshire 116 3.23x
Dorset 107 3.41x
Warwickshire 101 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 90 1.40x
Devon 88 0.88x
Leicestershire 84 1.59x
Somerset 82 1.07x
Buckinghamshire 78 2.70x
Suffolk 68 1.17x
Glamorgan 65 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 54 1.78x
Durham 53 0.37x
Oxfordshire 53 1.80x
Bedfordshire 50 2.02x
Lincolnshire 47 0.62x
Shropshire 42 1.02x
Worcestershire 40 0.64x
Hertfordshire 35 1.06x
Huntingdonshire 33 3.48x
Derbyshire 31 0.41x
Staffordshire 30 0.19x
Northamptonshire 29 0.65x
Cheshire 27 0.26x
Northumberland 16 0.23x
Channel Islands 15 1.06x
Lanarkshire 15 0.10x
Monmouthshire 15 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 11 0.72x
Herefordshire 7 0.36x
Anglesey 6 0.71x
Cumberland 6 0.15x
Renfrewshire 6 0.16x
Royal Navy 6 1.05x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.25x
Cornwall 3 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.05x
Brecknockshire 1 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 120 Bowles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.72x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 120 19.72x
Islington London 91 1.96x
Tonbridge 78 13.26x
Cheltenham 72 9.96x
Camberwell 65 2.13x
Great Marlow 65 83.35x
Gillingham 60 111.32x
Lambeth 58 1.39x
St Pancras London 53 1.38x
Aston 48 1.45x
Hackney London 46 1.72x
Brighton 45 2.77x
Stratton St Margaret 38 58.61x
St Marylebone London 37 1.45x
Manchester 35 1.37x
Portsea 35 1.82x
Kensington London 34 1.28x
Leeds 33 1.23x
Paddington London 30 1.71x
Birmingham 29 0.72x
Shoreditch London 29 1.40x
Battersea 28 1.59x
Leicester St Margaret 28 2.17x
Horton In Bradford 27 3.65x
East Dereham 26 28.01x
Heigham 26 6.59x
Toxteth Park 25 1.30x
Yalding 25 60.72x
Lowestoft 24 8.73x
Maidstone 24 4.94x
Deal 23 16.54x
Deptford St Paul 23 1.83x
Mile End Old Town London 23 2.26x
Bermondsey 22 1.55x
Bradford 22 1.92x
Cliffe 22 59.80x
Fulbourn 22 75.99x
Linton 22 153.85x
Wellington 22 9.48x
Bradford On Avon 21 15.52x
Boughton Monchelsea 20 111.23x
Nottingham St Mary 20 1.20x
Oadby 20 70.47x
Tudeley 20 222.72x
Liverpool 19 0.55x
Southwark St George Martyr 19 1.98x
St George Hanover Square 19 2.26x
Worksop 19 9.95x
Limehouse London 18 3.43x
Plaitford 18 631.58x
Plumstead 18 3.31x
Hammersmith London 17 1.44x
Luton 17 3.97x
Rotherhithe 17 2.88x
Teddington London 17 15.70x
Compton Dundon 16 170.39x
Easton 16 389.29x
Epsom 16 14.10x
Faversham 16 10.29x
Holdenhurst 16 6.23x
Lewisham 16 1.84x
Poplar London 16 1.77x
Sevenoaks 16 12.10x
Swansea Town 16 2.35x
Tollesbury 16 67.74x
Bethnal Green London 15 0.72x
Carshalton 15 16.84x
Dover St Mary Virgin 15 9.51x
Newington 15 0.85x
Peterborough 15 4.61x
Rottingdean 15 54.49x
Southampton St Mary 15 2.44x
West Ham 15 0.72x
Croydon 14 1.08x
Gorleston 14 9.47x
Hougham 14 14.44x
Reading St Mary 14 4.87x
Walmer 14 19.75x
Warfield 14 42.98x
Woolwich 14 2.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 292
Elizabeth 181
Sarah 177
Ellen 93
Alice 89
Eliza 87
Jane 84
Ann 76
Emily 69
Emma 65
Annie 55
Louisa 55
Charlotte 51
Caroline 50
Martha 48
Hannah 39
Ada 37
Maria 34
Fanny 33
Harriet 33
Florence 30
Kate 28
Agnes 27
Edith 27
Frances 24
Susan 24
Harriett 23
Margaret 23
Catherine 22
Clara 22
Julia 18
Amelia 17
Lucy 17
Rose 15
Sophia 15
Matilda 14
Anna 13
Anne 13
Eleanor 13
Esther 13
Ethel 12
Gertrude 12
Elizth. 10
Jessie 10
Laura 10
Minnie 10
Rebecca 10
Selina 10
Rachel 9
Isabella 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 288
John 233
George 208
Thomas 147
Henry 140
James 122
Charles 119
Alfred 68
Edward 65
Arthur 60
Frederick 58
Joseph 47
Richard 46
Harry 45
Robert 39
Walter 38
Samuel 32
Albert 30
Frank 27
Ernest 23
Benjamin 18
Francis 18
Herbert 17
David 15
Stephen 15
Tom 14
Edwin 13
Edmund 11
Isaac 10
Wm. 10
Percy 9
Daniel 8
Fred 8
Chas. 7
Jesse 7
Christopher 6
Fredrick 6
Horace 6
Michael 6
Patrick 6
Frederic 5
Fredk. 5
Geo. 5
Sidney 5
Thos. 5
Barnard 4
Mark 4
Matthew 4
Allen 3
Jas. 3

FAQ

Bowles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,884 people were recorded with the Bowles surname. That placed it at #910 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,113 in 2016. That gives Bowles a modern rank of #1,108.

What does the Bowles surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word for "bull," likely referring to a person who kept cattle or had a bull-like temperament.

What does the Bowles map show?

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