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Bowely Family History

Bowely 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: Bowell, Bowery, Borel, Lovely, Bower, Bowes, Boswell, Powell, Bowley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bowely family from?

You can see how Bowely families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowely family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Bowely families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 5 Bowely families living in Durham. This was 100% of all the recorded Bowely's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Bowely families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowely surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What Bowely family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 112 census records available for the last name Bowely. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowely census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowely

Passenger Lists

There are 642 immigration records available for the last name Bowely. 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 Bowely immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4 military records available for the last name Bowely. For the veterans among your Bowely ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowely military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowely family history

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What is the average Bowely lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowely 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bowely family tree

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