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Bowman Family History

Bowman Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name for an archer, hunter, or soldier armed with a bow from Middle English bow(e)man bouman (from Old English boga ‘bow’ + mann ‘man’).

This word was distinguished from Bowyer which denoted a maker or seller of bows.

Americanized form of German Baumann or the Dutch cognate Bouwman.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bowman family from?

You can see how Bowman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,000 Bowman families living in Durham. This was about 15% of all the recorded Bowman's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Bowman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowman 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 Bowman 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 Bowman. 11% of Bowman men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Bowman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowman were Colliery Hewer and Private Means.

View Census Data for Bowman | 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
    11%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Bowman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 584,000 census records available for the last name Bowman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowman

Passenger Lists

There are 43,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowman. 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 Bowman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 113,000 military records available for the last name Bowman. For the veterans among your Bowman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowman family history

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What is the average Bowman lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bowman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Bowman in 1940 was 45, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowman 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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