2000
#268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102,239
First available Census row
Per 100,000 37.90
Common Last name
Bowman
An occupational surname referring to an archer or a maker of bows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114,908 Americans carry the last name Bowman. That puts it at #309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 33.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bowman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bowman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115K
1 in 2,983
Census rank
#309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
33.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100,205 bearers of the surname Bowman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 33.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowman, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bowman
The surname Bowman is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "boga" meaning "bow" and "mann" meaning "man." This suggests that the name originally referred to an archer or someone skilled in archery.
In the Middle Ages, archery was highly valued, and bowmen played a crucial role in military campaigns and hunting. The earliest recorded instances of the name Bowman can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Bowman was Robert le Bogheman, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230. The name also appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Bogeman" in Derbyshire.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Bowman was particularly prevalent in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire, where archery was a popular activity. Some notable Bowmans from this period include Sir William Bowman (c. 1380-1457), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses.
In the 16th century, the name Bowman continued to be associated with archery. Sir Martin Bowman (1524-1597) was an English gentleman archer and a member of the Honourable Artillery Company. He is known for his role in the defense of London during the Spanish Armada in 1588.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several distinguished individuals bearing the surname Bowman. One of them was Sir William Bowman (1589-1663), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Richmond, Yorkshire. Another notable figure was Thomas Bowman (1617-1704), an English Puritan minister and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 18th century, the name Bowman was widespread across various parts of England and Scotland. Walter Bowman (1699-1782) was a Scottish philosopher and historian who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Scotland.
The 19th century brought forth several notable Bowmans, including Sir Joseph Bowman (1828-1904), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of railways and bridges. Another prominent figure was Sir William Bowman (1816-1892), an English surgeon and ophthalmologist who made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of eye anatomy and diseases.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bowman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowman, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bowman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bowman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 78,279
- Black or African American13.2% · 13,186
- Two or more races4.1% · 4,131
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 3,166
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 801
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 642
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bowman
Bowman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105,007
+2,768 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 35.60
Rank movement Down 28 places
2020
#309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100,205
-4,802 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 33.52
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #268 | 102,239 | 37.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #296 | 105,007 | 35.60 | +2,768 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 28 places |
| 2020 | #309 | 100,205 | 33.52 | -4,802 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 13 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bowman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #296 | #309 | -4.4% |
| Count | 105,007 | 100,205 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 35.60 | 33.52 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bowman bearers went from 105,007 to 100,205 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #296 to #309.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bowman
FAQ
Bowman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bowman?
Name Census estimates that about 114,908 living Americans carry the surname Bowman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,983 residents.
How common is Bowman?
Bowman ranks #309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 33.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 34 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100,205 people with the surname Bowman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 33.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 33.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 34 of them to have the surname Bowman.
Has Bowman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bowman went from 105,007 recorded bearers to 100,205. That is a decrease of 4,802 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #296 to #309.
What does the Census say about the background of Bowman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bowman, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bowman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (78,279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bowman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bowman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bowman mean?
An occupational surname referring to an archer or a maker of bows. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bowman (33.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Bowman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.