Surname Bowis - Meaning and Origin
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Bowis: What does the surname Bowis mean?
The last name Bowis is an anglicized version of the Welsh name Bowen, known as Bownes before the 15th century, and derives from an old Welsh personal name Owain. The personal name derives from the Welsh word ‘owen’ meaning “well-born” or “noble”.
The name was particularly popular in Wales due to the legend of Owain mab Urien, a 6th century lord of ethnic Britons born in the Welsh region of Powys, who was famous for his heroism and gallantry. This led to it becoming a name used by many families in Wales, particularly in south-west Wales.
Bowis is associated with an old family found mainly in South Wales during and after the 16th century. Several anglicised variations of the name arose during the Middle Ages, which were adopted by English-speaking families. Early examples of the spelling of the surname include Bothue, Bowan, Bowenne and Bowne.
Today, there are still many people with the Bowis surname in Wales, England and other parts of the world. This is in addition to a large number of people using variations like Bowen, Bownes, Bowin, and Bowens.
Order DNA origin analysisBowis: Where does the name Bowis come from?
The last name Bowis is most commonly found in the United States today. Generally, the name Bowis is of English origin and can be found in many parts of the country, from Georgia and Pennsylvania in the south to New York and Wisconsin in the north. Additionally, members of the Bowis surname can also be found on the west coast in California, Washington State and Oregon. According to census data, the name Bowis has seen some declines since the mid-1900s as the number of Bowis families has decreased dramatically in recent decades.
The Bowis surname likely derives from the Middle English personal name Boy or Bowe, which may in turn have originally been derived from a nickname. About 1600 the name Bowis became popular with the noble Bowis family of Shropshire and Oxfordshire, England and the name has since seen continued use around the English-speaking world.
Today, the Bowis surname is generally still associated with many people with English ancestry. Despite the recent downturn in the number of Bowis families, the name still remains a relatively common occurrence in many parts of the US.
Variations of the surname Bowis
The surname Bowis has a variety of spelling variants, spellings, and related surnames. Some of the more common variants of the surname Bowis include: Bowes, Bows, Bowys, Bowess, Bowers, Bowyer, Boweser, Bowey, Bowess, Bowens, Bowerman, Bowerson, Bowin, Bowrin and Bowrin-Smith. All of these spellings are derived from the same central root—Bowis.
The origin of the surname Bowis is believed to be of English and/or Scottish origin with the bowis spelling being a less common variation than the Bowes spelling. The exact source of the surname Bowis is unclear; however, the Bowes variation is thought to have originated in an Old Norse name, Búi, or Búr, which was a byname derived from the Old Norse word búós meaning 'bow' or 'arch'.
Another possibility for the origin of the surname Bowis is believed to stem from the surname Bevis, which was derived from the Old French personal name, Beuvis, and was first found in England in the 1100s.
Still another evolutionary path suggests that the surname Bowis is a variation of the surname Bowyer, which is derived from the Middle English term 'bowyer', meaning an archer or maker of bows and arrows in the 1300s.
The spellings of these related surnames have evolved over time due to an influence of intuitive modifications and mispronunciation. As such, the Bowis spelling is a less common variant of the more frequently encountered Bowes, Bowys, and Bowers spellings.
Famous people with the name Bowis
- Mark Bowis: British Labour Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005.
- Caitlin Bowis: British actress best known for her roles in theatre, including The Sound of Music and Deceptive Practice.
- James Bowis: British diplomat and lecturer.
- Stanley Bowis: British soldier and military historian.
- Thomas Bowis: British anti-slavery campaigner and Member of Parliament in the late 18th century.
- Nathan Bowis: British actor best known for his role in Doctors.
- Thomas Bowis Jr.: British politician, son of Thomas Bowis, who served as a Member of Parliament from 1814 until his death in 1841.
- Alfred Bowis: British public servant and career diplomat.
- Edward Bowis: British entrepreneur, founding editor of the British newspaper The Guardian in 1821.
- Curtis Bowis: Professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors.
- Brad Bowis: American football player for the San Francisco 49ers.
- Lee Bowis: British actor best known for his roles in the TV series Doc Martin and EastEnders.
- Kevin Bowis: American country music singer best known for his single "Walk the Line".
- Alex Bowis: British rock musician who was part of the band Mods and Rockers.
- Paul Bowis: American news anchor for CNN International.