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Bowie Family History

Bowie Surname Meaning

Scottish: from Gaelic buidhe ‘yellow’ i.e. ‘yellow-haired’ pronounced as two syllables. The equivalent term in Ireland is buí often Anglicized as boy.

The surname may also be a shortened form of Gilboy.

Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Buadhaigh (see Bogue).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bowie family from?

You can see how Bowie families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowie family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowie families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 141 Bowie families living in London. This was about 34% of all the recorded Bowie's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bowie families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowie 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 Bowie ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Wood Machinist and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bowie. 13% of Bowie men worked as a Wood Machinist and 67% of Bowie women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowie were Farmer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Bowie | 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

  • Wood Machinist
    13%
  • Bank Clerk
    13%
  • Wholesale Grocer
    9%
  • Farmer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%

What Bowie family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 76,000 census records available for the last name Bowie. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowie census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowie

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowie. 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 Bowie immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Bowie. For the veterans among your Bowie ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowie military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowie family history

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What is the average Bowie lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Bowie life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bowie in 1941 was 41, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowie

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowie 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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