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Bowdy Family History

Bowdy Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Body, Bondy, Gowdy, Bowdry, Boddy, Browdy, Mowdy, Dowdy, Boody, Jowdy

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bowdy family from?

You can see how Bowdy families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowdy family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowdy families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 9 Bowdy families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Bowdy's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bowdy families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowdy 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 Bowdy ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bowdy. 72% of Bowdy men worked as a Laborer and 67% of Bowdy women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowdy were Operator and Seamstress.

View Census Data for Bowdy | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    72%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Operator
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    67%
  • Seamstress
    34%

What Bowdy family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Bowdy. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowdy census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowdy

Passenger Lists

There are 82 immigration records available for the last name Bowdy. 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 Bowdy immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 148 military records available for the last name Bowdy. For the veterans among your Bowdy ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowdy military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowdy family history

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What is the average Bowdy lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2004, in the United States, Bowdy life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1990, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Bowdy in 1964 was 69, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowdy

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowdy 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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