Given name & surname
Bowden
“one who brings news; a herald”·“one who provides shelter or is sheltered”
Bowden is a variant of Boden. Interpretations include “one who brings news; a herald” and “one who provides shelter or is sheltered”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Bowden is a variant of Boden. Interpretations include “one who brings news; a herald” and “one who provides shelter or is sheltered”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Bowden is a variant of Boden. Boden has been associated with French and Scandinavian naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1976. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Bowden through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 656
- 656 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 79 babies
- 2025
- 79
- #1,944 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +46%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 79 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,944 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 45.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Georgia, New York, Ohio and 1 other areas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 419 as a first name in 2020; 23,246 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Bowden’s family of names
Bowden has a related form in Boden. In English usage, Bowden as a surname has a related form in BAWDEN.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
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