Bowling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Bowling family

The surname Bowling was first found in Lancashire and Yorkshire. For the Yorkshire branch, the name was thought to have been derived from a local name Bowling, a chapelry near Bradford, but census records are relatively late for this name as the first found was Tristram Bollyng of Bradford c. 1580. The same reference states that his grandson Robert Bollyng was a "sadler and silk trowster" residing in London. To confuse matters more, the name could also have been a baptismal name as "the son of Bolling".

Early History of the Bowling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowling research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1316, 1476, 1485, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bowling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowling Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bowling include Bolling, Bowling, Boling, Bollings, Bollinge and many more.

Early Notables of the Bowling family

More information is included under the topic Early Bowling Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowling Ranking

In the United States, the name Bowling is the 1,203^rd most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 1

Bowling migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Bowling Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Bowling, who landed in Virginia in 1700 2
Judith Bowling, who landed in Virginia in 1704 2
Timothy Bowling, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1733 2
Elizabeth Bowling, who landed in Georgia in 1733 2
Susan Bowling, who arrived in Georgia in 1735 2

Bowling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Bowling, aged 35, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
Adam Bowling, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1874 2

Bowling migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bowling Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Bowling, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
Mr. Edward Bowling, English convict who was convicted in Westminster, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Miss Mary Bowling who was convicted in London, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Aurora" on 22nd April 1851, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. John Bowling, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 9th Mary 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Bowling (post 1700) +

John C. Bowling, American academic, President of Olivet Nazarene University
Dan Carr Bowling II (b. 1946), American politician, Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2006-2010)
Bo Bowling (b. 1987), American CFL football player for the Montreal Alouettes
William Bismarck Bowling (1870-1946), American politician, U.S. Representative from Alabama
Roger D. Bowling (1944-1982), American Nashville songwriter, his song 1977, "Lucille" won the CMA Song Of The Year award
Stephen Shaddon Bowling (b. 1952), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1976 to 1977
Horace H. Bowling, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1940 7
Gus A. Bowling, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates, 1972, 1974 7
Frank Bowling, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Arizona State House of Representatives, 1935-36 7
Edna L. Bowling, American politician, Representative from Alabama 6th District, 1972 7
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html