How common is the surname Bowen?

78,822 people in the United States had the surname Bowen in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,917 Americans. It ranked 407th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Bowen?

Elizabeth Bowen, Anglo-Irish novelist and diarist (1899–1973), followed by Andrea Bowen.

Where is the surname Bowen most common?

Wikidata records people named Bowen in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 3 other countries.

How do you pronounce Bowen?

Bowen is /ˈboʊ.ən/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Bowen getting more or less common?

More common. 77,078 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,822 in 2010, up 2.3%.

Is Bowen also a first name?

Yes. Bowen is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Bowen

A Welsh patronymic surname, carried by 78,822 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈboʊ.ən/ 2 syllables Soundex B500 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Bowen is more common than 99.7% of them.

Origin

Welsh origin

From Welsh ab Owain (“son of Owen”).

Bowen is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 60 Welsh surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 78,822 people named Bowen in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 3,917 Americans. That is up 2.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 77,078.

#407

rank among US surnames

78,822

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+2.3%

change since 2000 (was #370)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#398	Velasquez	80,364	3,842
#399	Hardy	80,252	3,847
#400	Higgins	79,803	3,869
#401	Aguirre	79,517	3,883
#402	Lin	79,508	3,883
#403	Cummings	79,316	3,893
#404	Chandler	79,186	3,899

Who is named Bowen

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

82% of people named Bowen identified as white (not Hispanic), 12% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.7% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 82%
Black (not Hispanic) 12%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.7%
Two or more races 2.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Bowens

25 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Elizabeth Bowen
Anglo-Irish novelist and diarist (1899–1973)
Andrea Bowen
American actress, born 1990
Stephen Bowen
American astronaut, born 1964
Bruce Bowen
American basketball player (born 1971)
Ira S. Bowen
American physicist and astronomer (1898–1973)
Michael Bowen
American actor, born 1953
James Bowen
Author and musician (born 1979)
Clare Bowen
Australian actress and singer, born 1984
Otis R. Bowen
American politician (1918-2013)
George Bowen
British colonial administrator, 9th Governor of Hong Kong, 1st Governor of Queensland (182
Jonathan Bowen
British computer scientist, born 1956
Ryan Bowen
American basketball player/coach, born 1975

Notable Bowens come mostly from the United States (16), the United Kingdom (3) and Australia (3).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Bowen

Bowen has the Soundex code B500, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code B500.

Other Welsh surnames

All 60 Welsh surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Bowen come from?: From Welsh ab Owain (“son of Owen”).
How common is the surname Bowen?: 78,822 people in the United States had the surname Bowen in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,917 Americans. It ranked 407th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Bowen?: In the 2010 Census, 82% of people named Bowen identified as white (not Hispanic), and 12% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Bowen?: Elizabeth Bowen, Anglo-Irish novelist and diarist (1899–1973), followed by Andrea Bowen.
Where is the surname Bowen most common?: Wikidata records people named Bowen in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Bowen?: Bowen is /ˈboʊ.ən/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Bowen?: Bowen is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Bowen getting more or less common?: More common. 77,078 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,822 in 2010, up 2.3%.
Is Bowen also a first name?: Yes. Bowen is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.