NameCensus.

UK surname

Bowmar

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "boga" (archer) and "mann" (man).

In the 1881 census there were 55 people recorded with the Bowmar surname, ranking it #25,862 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, down from #25,862 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Blackwell, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxtowe, Ashfield and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bowmar is 120 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.9%.

1881 census count

55

Ranked #25,862

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

1891

120 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bowmar had 55 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,862 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 120 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bowmar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bowmar surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bowmar 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 55 #25,862
1891 historical 120 #21,292
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 110 #26,220
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 109 #26,872
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 114 #26,796
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

Back to top

Where Bowmars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Blackwell, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood, Nottingham St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Kirby-in-Ashfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxtowe, Ashfield and Nottingham. 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 Blackwell Nottinghamshire
2 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Fulwood Nottinghamshire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Kirby-in-Ashfield Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxtowe 003 Broxtowe
2 Ashfield 012 Ashfield
3 Nottingham 004 Nottingham
4 Broxtowe 016 Broxtowe
5 Ashfield 011 Ashfield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bowmar

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bowmar

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Bowmar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bowmar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bowmar is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bowmar is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bowmar 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 Bowmar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bowmar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bowmar

The surname Bowmar is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "boga" meaning "a bow" and "mere" meaning "a lake," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a lake where archery was practiced.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bowmar can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a certain "Alwinus Bogemere" residing in Yorkshire.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Bougemere living in Lincolnshire. The spelling variation "Bougemere" further supports the connection to the Old English words for "bow" and "lake."

Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, the name continued to appear in various records and documents, with spellings such as Bowmer, Bowmere, and Bomer.

One notable individual with the surname Bowmar was Sir William Bowmar, a 16th-century English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Marlborough in 1553 and 1554 during the reign of Queen Mary I.

In the 17th century, a Richard Bowmer (1625-1699) was a prominent Quaker preacher and writer who helped establish Quaker communities in various parts of England.

Another individual of note was John Bowmar (1756-1840), an English mathematician and author who published several influential works on arithmetic and mathematics education.

During the 18th century, a Thomas Bowmer (1710-1788) was a respected architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in the city of York.

In the 19th century, James Bowmar (1827-1901) was a successful Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow.

While the surname Bowmar is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with various individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in fields such as politics, religion, education, architecture, and business.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bowmar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bowmar 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 22 Bowmars recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.43x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 22 30.43x
Leicestershire 15 25.22x
Derbyshire 11 13.10x
Middlesex 4 0.75x
Lincolnshire 1 1.17x
Staffordshire 1 0.55x
Yorkshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Selston in Nottinghamshire leads with 9 Bowmars recorded in 1881 and an index of 1111.11x.

Place Total Index
Selston 9 1111.11x
Kirkby In Ashfield 7 909.09x
Heage 6 1363.64x
Hinckley 4 283.69x
Mansfield 4 160.00x
Paddington London 4 20.28x
Brimington 3 468.75x
Leicester St Margaret 3 20.69x
Leicester St Mary 3 62.50x
New Found Pool 2 20000.00x
Barrow Upon Soar 1 204.08x
Belper 1 61.35x
Houghton On The Hill 1 1250.00x
Hucknall Under 1 270.27x
Leicester All Sts 1 85.47x
Scarcliff 1 909.09x
Stafford St Mary 1 39.06x
Waddington 1 625.00x
Warsop Soulkholme 1 1666.67x
Worsbrough 1 64.10x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Joseph 4
William 4
Thomas 3
Charles 2
George 2
Benj. 1
Daniel 1
Harcomb 1
Herbert 1
Robert 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bowmar households.

FAQ

Bowmar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bowmar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 55 people were recorded with the Bowmar surname. That placed it at #25,862 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bowmar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Bowmar a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Bowmar surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Old English words "boga" (archer) and "mann" (man).

What does the Bowmar map show?

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