Explore the Family Name Bowman
The meaning of Bowman
1. 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. 2. Americanized form of German Baumann or the Dutch cognate Bouwman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bowman in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname 'Bowman' has seen changes in its popularity over a decade. In 2000, Bowman ranked as the 268th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to rank 296, marking a decline of 10.45%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Bowman surname increased from 102,239 in 2000 to 105,007 in 2010, indicating an increase of 2.71%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of -6.07%, moving from 37.9 in 2000 to 35.6 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #268 | #296 | -10.45% |
| Count | 102,239 | 105,007 | 2.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 37.9 | 35.6 | -6.07% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bowman
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Bowman' also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010, as revealed by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of Bowmans identified as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 82.90% in 2000 to 80.82% in 2010. The percentage of Bowmans identifying as Black saw a small increase from 12.94% in 2000 to 13.62% in 2010. Similarly, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also rose, standing at 0.48% in 2010 up from 0.42% in 2000. The number of people with the Bowman surname who identified as having two or more races also increased significantly from 1.46% in 2000 to 2.05% in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of Hispanic Bowmans increased by 53.79%, while the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native Bowmans slightly decreased from 0.84% to 0.80%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.9% | 80.82% | -2.51% |
| Black | 12.94% | 13.62% | 5.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 2.23% | 53.79% |
| Two or More Races | 1.46% | 2.05% | 40.41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.84% | 0.8% | -4.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.48% | 14.29% |
Bowman 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 Bowman is British & Irish, which comprises 50.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.7%) and Scandinavian (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.7% |
| French & German | 27.7% |
| Scandinavian | 3.8% |
| Other | 17.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Bowman
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 Bowman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
What Bowman 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 Bowman is R-Z57, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z57 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and G-S18765, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Brown, White, Johnson, Hill, Thompson, Young, Taylor, Green, Cook.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bowman surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Bowman 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.
"Bowman" Surname 38.3%
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.
"Bowman" Surname 29.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bowman" Surname 25.0%
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.
"Bowman" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bowman?
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 Bowman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition