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Bowen Family History

Bowen Surname Meaning

Welsh: Anglicized form of Welsh ap Owain ‘son of Owain’ (see Owen) with fused patronymic marker (a)p which is normally voiced before a vowel.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Buadhacháin ‘descendant of Buadhachán’ a diminutive of Buadhach ‘victorious’ (see Bohan).

Irish: used to ‘translate’ Ó Cnáimhín ‘descendant of Cnáimhín’ a personal name meaning ‘little bone’ or ‘little body’ see Nevin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Bowen family from?

You can see how Bowen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,532 Bowen families living in Glamorgan. This was about 21% of all the recorded Bowen's in United Kingdom. Glamorgan had the highest population of Bowen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bowen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bowen. 7% of Bowen men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Bowen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowen were Dairy Farmer and Household Duties.

View Census Data for Bowen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    7%
  • Farmer
    5%
  • Colliery Hewer
    4%
  • Dairy Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Household Duties
    2%

What Bowen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 529,000 census records available for the last name Bowen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowen

Passenger Lists

There are 47,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bowen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 96,000 military records available for the last name Bowen. For the veterans among your Bowen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowen family history

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What is the average Bowen lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bowen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Bowen in 1940 was 45, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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