NameCensus.

UK surname

Bownes

A locational surname derived from places named Bowness in Cumberland and Westmorland.

In the 1881 census there were 237 people recorded with the Bownes surname, ranking it #11,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 391, ranked #12,073, down from #11,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Over, London parishes and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Bassetlaw and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bownes is 415 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.0%.

1881 census count

237

Ranked #11,509

Modern count

391

2016, ranked #12,073

Peak year

1999

415 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bownes had 237 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016, ranked #12,073.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 342 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bownes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bownes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bownes 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 124 #14,792
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 237 #11,509
1891 historical 309 #10,848
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 342 #10,445
1997 modern 393 #11,144
1998 modern 403 #11,275
1999 modern 415 #11,136
2000 modern 400 #11,402
2001 modern 385 #11,534
2002 modern 402 #11,405
2003 modern 406 #11,150
2004 modern 401 #11,264
2005 modern 398 #11,231
2006 modern 399 #11,282
2007 modern 397 #11,433
2008 modern 403 #11,398
2009 modern 402 #11,682
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 387 #12,142
2012 modern 383 #12,099
2013 modern 404 #11,833
2014 modern 398 #12,048
2015 modern 397 #11,973
2016 modern 391 #12,073

Geography

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Where Bownes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Over, London parishes, Sheffield, Rotherham and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Bassetlaw, Maldon and Chesterfield. 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 Over Cheshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 004 Herefordshire, County of
2 Bassetlaw 004 Bassetlaw
3 Maldon 002 Maldon
4 Chesterfield 002 Chesterfield
5 Maldon 003 Maldon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bownes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bownes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bownes, 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 Bownes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bownes 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bownes 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

Bownes 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

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

Meaning and origin of Bownes

The surname Bownes has its origins in the medieval county of Cheshire, England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "boune" or "boun," meaning "ready" or "prepared," and may have originally referred to someone who was well-equipped or prepared for a particular task or journey.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Cheshire Pipe Rolls of 1260, where a person named Ranulphus de Bounes is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Bounes, Bownes, and Bowyns, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and recordkeeping during that era. The Bownes family is believed to have been prominent landowners in the areas around Nantwich and Audlem in Cheshire.

A notable early bearer of the name was John Bownes, born around 1420 in Nantwich, Cheshire. He was a prosperous merchant and served as the town's mayor in the late 15th century.

Another historically significant figure was Richard Bownes, born in 1588 in Audlem, Cheshire. He was a soldier who fought in the English Civil War and was knighted by King Charles I for his service.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records and documents related to the Cheshire area, including the Cheshire Wills and Inventories and the Cheshire Parish Registers.

A prominent member of the Bownes family was Thomas Bownes, born in 1678 in Nantwich. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of several churches and schools in the region.

Another noteworthy individual was William Bownes, born in 1710 in Audlem. He was a renowned scholar and author who wrote several treatises on philosophy and theology.

Throughout the centuries, the Bownes surname has been associated with various places in Cheshire, such as Bownes Hall, Bownes Farm, and Bownes Green, reflecting the family's longstanding presence and influence in the region.

While the Bownes name has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration, its roots can be traced back to the medieval county of Cheshire, where it has a rich and well-documented history spanning several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bownes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bownes 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 136 Bownes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 136 5.91x
Nottinghamshire 20 6.39x
Middlesex 15 0.65x
Derbyshire 13 3.58x
Cheshire 8 1.56x
Buckinghamshire 7 4.99x
Warwickshire 7 1.20x
Cumberland 6 3.00x
Lincolnshire 6 1.62x
Caernarfonshire 4 4.26x
Lancashire 4 0.15x
Kent 2 0.25x
Northumberland 2 0.58x
Somerset 2 0.54x
Surrey 2 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.46x
Oxfordshire 1 0.70x
Staffordshire 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 54 Bownes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.73x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 54 73.73x
Ecclesall Bierlow 33 70.53x
Nether Hallam 30 96.37x
Sutton In Ashfield 8 117.82x
Worksop 8 86.21x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 32.66x
Birmingham 7 3.59x
Great Marlow 7 184.70x
Over 7 134.36x
Arlecdon 6 112.78x
Brightside Bierlow 6 13.30x
Eckington 6 67.95x
Hemswell 6 2000.00x
Rotherham 6 46.26x
St Marylebone London 6 4.84x
St George Hanover Square 5 12.22x
Bolsover 4 219.78x
Llanllyfni 4 90.29x
Mansfield 3 27.70x
St George In East London 3 13.74x
Broughton In Salford 2 7.94x
Longbenton 2 13.67x
Upper Langwith 2 1250.00x
Camberwell 1 0.67x
Chatham 1 4.59x
Cheadle 1 10.21x
Creech St Michael 1 107.53x
Eckington 1 185.19x
Handsworth 1 5.18x
Holywell 1 149.25x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Maidstone 1 4.24x
Newton In Makerfield 1 11.85x
Norton 1 33.33x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.24x
Openshaw 1 7.75x
Peterborough 1 6.33x
Walcot 1 5.03x
Westminster St Margaret 1 8.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Ann 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 8
Sarah 8
Eliza 6
Annie 5
Ellen 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Jane 4
Alice 3
Ada 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Lilly 2
Sophia 2
Alberta 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Anniy 1
Barbara 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Elisa 1
Ellin 1
Florance 1
Frances 1
Harriott 1
Henryette 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Liddon 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1
S. 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
T. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
James 13
John 13
Charles 11
George 8
Henry 5
Frank 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Joshua 3
Wm. 3
Andrew 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Bownes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bownes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 237 people were recorded with the Bownes surname. That placed it at #11,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bownes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 391 in 2016. That gives Bownes a modern rank of #12,073.

What does the Bownes surname mean?

A locational surname derived from places named Bowness in Cumberland and Westmorland.

What does the Bownes map show?

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