History of your Surname
Get access to Bowles family records.Start a free trial

Bowles Family History

Bowles Name Meaning

English: variant of Bowell with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: Boles, Bowes, Powles, Bowlds, Towles, Bownes, Boyles, Vowles, Downes

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Bowles family from?

You can see how Bowles families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowles family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowles families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 81 Bowles families living in Virginia. This was about 29% of all the recorded Bowles's in USA. Virginia had the highest population of Bowles families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowles surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bowles ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bowles. 19% of Bowles men worked as a Farmer and 9% of Bowles women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowles were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Bowles | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bowles family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 203,000 census records available for the last name Bowles. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowles census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bowles

Passenger Lists

There are 14,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowles. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bowles immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 30,000 military records available for the last name Bowles. For the veterans among your Bowles ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowles military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowles family history

Discover More

What is the average Bowles lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Bowles life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Bowles in 1941 was 41, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowles

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bowles family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Bowles last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial