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Bowler Family History

Bowler Surname Meaning

English (mainly East Midlands): occupational name from an unrecorded Middle English word boler ‘worker at a bole or lead-mining site’ (Middle English bole ‘bowl’) here denoting a round cavity on top of a high hill where lead was smelted.

English: occupational name from Middle English bollere boler bolour bulour ‘maker or seller of bowls, dishes, or cups’ (from Old English bolla ‘bowl, drinking vessel’ + the agent suffix -er and Old French bole bule ‘bowl’).

Medieval bowls were made of wood as well as of earthenware.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bowler family from?

You can see how Bowler families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowler family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowler families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 543 Bowler families living in London. This was about 14% of all the recorded Bowler's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bowler families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowler 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 Bowler 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 Bowler. 9% of Bowler men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Bowler women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowler were Gardener and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Bowler | 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
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Gardener
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Bowler family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 108,000 census records available for the last name Bowler. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowler census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowler

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowler. 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 Bowler immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Bowler. For the veterans among your Bowler ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowler military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowler family history

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What is the average Bowler lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Bowler life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Bowler in 1945 was 45, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowler

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowler 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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