Bowman
Masculine · “archer”
Bowman is an archer, and the English longbow was made of yew and drew a weight few modern archers can manage.
How old is the name Bowman?
Bowman first appears in US birth records in 1884 — 141 years ago. The typical Bowman is a kid of about 12 — this name's wave is very recent. About 900 people named Bowman are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Bowman most popular?
Bowman peaked in 1884, reaching #971 nationally. Today it ranks #2390, 1,419 places below that high. See the whole 1884 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From boga to Bowman
The story of Bowman
English longbows recovered from the Mary Rose have draw weights of well over a hundred pounds, and the skeletons of the archers show deformed shoulders and spines from a lifetime of practice. Bowman is an occupational surname from that world. It entered American given-name use recently and is in current use.
Meaning
archer
From the Middle English bowe and man — an occupational surname for an archer or a bow-maker. The Old English boga, 'bow', is related to 'bough' and to a root meaning to bend. The etymology is documented.
How the name formed
- boga
- bowman
- Bowman
Related forms: Bowmann · Baumann
Pronouncing Bowman
BOH-mun
Two syllables, stress on the first. Said identically in every English accent.
Nicknames for Bowman
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1884
- Most boys named
- 202557 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #971reached in 1884
- Change vs 2023
- +39.0%57 in 2025, from 41
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Bowman in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Bowmann in English — spelling variant
- Baumann in German — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas.
Bowmans among us
people named Bowman are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 29,966 born in 2025 was named Bowman
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Bowman sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Bowman is headed
Bowman should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Bowman beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Bowman in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- That Mary Rose archers' skeletons are visibly deformed by practice is a first-rate fact.
- Bo is available as a short form with a real record.
- Two clean syllables with no pronunciation risk.
- It reads unmistakably as a surname.
- The German Baumann is a false friend meaning a builder.
- It is very new as a given name.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Bowman to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Bowman? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Bowman
Masculine · #2390 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Bowmans are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 900 people named Bowman are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Bowman in 2025?
- Bowman ranks #2390 among US boy names in 2025, with 57 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Bowman?
- About 1 in every 29,966 US boys born in 2025 was named Bowman — 57 in all.
- Will my child share the name Bowman with classmates?
- Bowman will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Bowman
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Quest#2390 · Jovanny#2390 · Ameen#2390 · Devante#2390 · Austyn#2390 · Deklan#2390 · Erwin#2390 · Blaize#2390
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Bowman? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Bowman and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle