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
Scholar 994
Agricultural Labourer 152
General Labourer 60
Labourer 58
Dress Maker 50
Domestic Servant 45
General Servant 42
Carpenter 41
Laundress 40
Farm Labourer 21
Annuitant 18
Gardener 18
Coal Miner 18
Carman 16
General Domestic Servant 14
General Servant Domestic 14
Painter 14
Railway Porter 13
Charwoman 12
Housemaid 12
Clerk 11
Cook Domestic 11
House Keeper 11
No Occupation 11
Tailoress 10

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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