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Bowlby Family History

Bowlby Name Meaning

English (Yorkshire): habitational name from Boulby in North Yorkshire or Bulby in Lincolnshire both of which are named with the Old Norse byname Boli (from boli ‘bull’) + Old Norse ‘farmstead settlement’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Bowley, Bielby, Bilby, Colby, Howley, Dalby, Bodley, Milby, Rowley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bowlby family from?

You can see how Bowlby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowlby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowlby families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 62 Bowlby families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 42% of all the recorded Bowlby's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Bowlby families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowlby surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bowlby ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Bowlby. 59% of Bowlby men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Bowlby women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowlby were Butcher and Servant. .

View Census Data for Bowlby | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    59%
  • Merchant
    12%
  • Carpenter
    9%
  • Butcher
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    34%
  • School Teacher
    23%
  • Income
    23%
  • Servant
    23%
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What Bowlby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Bowlby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowlby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Bowlby

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Bowlby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bowlby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Bowlby. For the veterans among your Bowlby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowlby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowlby family history

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What is the average Bowlby lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Bowlby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Bowlby in 1943 was 33, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowlby

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bowlby family tree

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