Explore the Family Name Bowie
The meaning of Bowie
1. 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. 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Buadhaigh (see Bogue).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bowie in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bowie saw a slight change between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Bowie ranked 3036 in terms of popular surnames, with a count of 10,943 people bearing it. By 2010, the rank had barely shifted, moving to 3039. However, the number of individuals with this last name increased by 7.7% to 11,786. Despite this increase in count, the proportion of Bowies per 100,000 people slightly decreased by 1.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,036 | #3,039 | -0.1% |
| Count | 10,943 | 11,786 | 7.7% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.06 | 4 | -1.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bowie
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Bowie surname is most commonly associated with those identifying as Black or White, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a 3.07% increase in the number of Bowies who identified as Black, bringing the total to 51.35% in 2010. In contrast, there was an 8.08% decrease in those identifying as White, decreasing to 41.55%. The group identifying as two or more races saw a substantial increase of 70.86%, while the Asian/Pacific Islander group also had a significant rise of 44.83%. The Hispanic Bowie population saw a moderate increase of 39.52%, whilst the American Indian and Alaskan Native segment experienced a slight decrease of 7.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 49.82% | 51.35% | 3.07% |
| White | 45.2% | 41.55% | -8.08% |
| Two or More Races | 1.75% | 2.99% | 70.86% |
| Hispanic | 2.1% | 2.93% | 39.52% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.83% | 0.77% | -7.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.29% | 0.42% | 44.83% |
Bowie ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bowie is British & Irish, which comprises 53.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.5%) and Nigerian (8.0%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Angolan & Congolese, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.8% |
| French & German | 17.5% |
| Nigerian | 8.0% |
| Other | 20.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Bowie
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bowie have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 75.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 75.10% |
What Bowie haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bowie is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and I-Y4760, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Tyler, Cunningham, Lewis, James, Hammond, Thomas, Anthony, Williams, Jones, Reese.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bowie surname are: H1, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bowie have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bowie" Surname 42.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bowie" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bowie" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bowie" Surname 12.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bowie?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bowie are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition