Explore the Family Name Bowyer
The meaning of Bowyer
English: occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, or an archer, from Middle English bowyere, an agent derivative of Old English boga ‘bow’. Compare Bowman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bowyer in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bowyer has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Bowyer was ranked 7,496th in terms of surname prevalence, and by 2010, it had dropped to 8,019th, marking a decline of nearly 7%. Despite this downward shift in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Bowyer surname increased slightly from 4,099 in 2000 to 4,127 in 2010, a modest growth of about 0.68%. Similarly, the proportion per 100k people also showed a declining trend from 1.52 in 2000 to 1.4 in 2010, a 7.89% reduction.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,496 | #8,019 | -6.98% |
| Count | 4,099 | 4,127 | 0.68% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.52 | 1.4 | -7.89% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bowyer
The Decennial U.S. Census data regarding the ethnic identity linked with the surname Bowyer shows some shifts over the decade from 2000 to 2010. Those identifying as White decreased from 92.02% in 2000 to 90.55% in 2010. However, those associating their ethnicity as Hispanic saw an increase of over 80% during the same period. The percentage of people with the Bowyer surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also experienced increases of 39.29% and 43.75%, respectively. Individuals identifying as Black or having two or more races experienced minor changes, with a decrease of 9.24% for Black identifiers and an increase of 16.54% for those identifying with two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.02% | 90.55% | -1.6% |
| Black | 4.22% | 3.83% | -9.24% |
| Hispanic | 1.61% | 2.91% | 80.75% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 1.48% | 16.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.78% | 39.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.46% | 43.75% |
Bowyer 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 Bowyer is British & Irish, which comprises 61.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.9%) and Eastern European (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.7% |
| French & German | 20.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.6% |
| Other | 13.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Bowyer
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 Bowyer have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 93.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 93.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 93.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 93.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.30% |
What Bowyer 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 Bowyer is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-CTS2501, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knight, Darby, Potter, Dean, Dennis, Ritchie, Nash, Weber, Blunt, Wallis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bowyer surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Bowyer 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.
"Bowyer" Surname 47.8%
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.
"Bowyer" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bowyer" Surname 28.2%
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.
"Bowyer" Surname 14.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bowyer?
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 Bowyer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition