Bowles Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Bowles Name Meaning: A variant of 'Bowell'.This is from 'Powell' (Howell),from 'Hywel' meaning 'Eminent'. Possibly habitational from Howell in Lincolnshire.

This name has been popular since the middle ages in particular in honour of the great 10th century Welsh king.

Discover how your Bowles ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Bowles Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Bowles family

Profession Census Frequency
School 697
Farm Labourer 77
General Servant (domestic) 54
Private Means 53
General Labourer 51
Labourer 44
Dressmaker 39
None 33
Carpenter 30
Laundress 30
Dress Maker 28
Domestic Servant 27
Farmer 24
Cook (domestic) 22
Clerk 21
Housekeeper 21
Bricklayer 19
House Keeper 19
General Servant Domestic 17
Labourer General 16
Gardener Domestic 16
At Home 15
Shop Assistant 15
Gardener (domestic) 14
Carman 14

Bowles Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Bowles 100% 33,314
2 Boles 83% 901
3 Booles 83% 852
4 Bools 67% 652
5 Bowls 83% 649
6 Bowels 67% 623
7 Bowlas 83% 542
8 Bolls 67% 208
9 Bawles 83% 155

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The surname Bowles is the most popular version of all its varients

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