Given name & surname
Fowler
“one who traps birds”
Fowler is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “one who traps birds.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who traps birds.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Fowler through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 279
- 279 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1922
- 16 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #7,339 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +22%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,339 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 22.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 16 in 1922. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 256 as a first name in 2020; 99,260 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.
Fowler’s family of names
Fowler has a related form in Fowla. Fowler has a related form in Fowlar. Fowler has a related form in Fowlea.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Fowler, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Homer
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>99% boys
Sumner
“a legal official; one who serves summons”
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Chester
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Gardner
“one who works the earth” · “the keeper of the garden”
97% boys · 3% girls
Olin
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Lester
“roman fort” · “a man from Leicester”
>99% boys
Parley
“one who negotiates” · “a reluctant man”
93% boys · 7% girls
Garner
“one who gathers or keeps grain”
83% boys · 17% girls