Bowens
A Welsh surname that usually began as a patronymic form meaning “son of Bowen.”
The #3,861 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,603 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bowens is generally understood as a patronymic surname built from the Welsh personal name Bowen. In Welsh usage, the ending -s often marks descent or relationship, so the name was originally a way of saying “Bowen’s son” or “descendant of Bowen.” Bowen itself is commonly explained as coming from Welsh elements meaning “high” or “tall,” though older scholarship varies on the exact development of the personal name.
History
The name is especially associated with Wales, and historical notices place it strongly in south and west Wales, including Pembrokeshire. It later spread into adjacent English counties as people moved across the border. In modern usage, Bowens is also found as a fixed family name outside Wales, including in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers noted Bowens as particularly well established in Pembrokeshire, making it one of the Welsh names with a very strong local core.
From the historical record
“It has its home now at Kidwelly in the adjacent county of Carmarthen The Bowens, according to Lower, have their great home in Pembrokeshire, but they are also numerous in Shropshire. The North Wales name of Breese like Preece is a form of Ap”
— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (county distribution)