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Bowe Family History

Bowe Surname Meaning

English and Irish: variant (mainly Irish) of Bow.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bowe family from?

You can see how Bowe families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowe family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowe families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 152 Bowe families living in Cumberland. This was about 17% of all the recorded Bowe's in United Kingdom. Cumberland had the highest population of Bowe families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowe 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 Bowe ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bowe. 17% of Bowe men worked as a Farmer and 68% of Bowe women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowe were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Bowe | 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

  • Farmer
    17%
  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Bowe family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 45,000 census records available for the last name Bowe. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowe census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowe

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowe. 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 Bowe immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Bowe. For the veterans among your Bowe ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowe military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowe family history

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What is the average Bowe lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Bowe life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Bowe in 1944 was 37, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowe

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowe 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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