Contents [hide]

Bowie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Bowie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the name Bowie lived in the Kingdom of Dalriada. In those days the name Bowie was used to indicate a person who person with fair hair. The surname Bowie is derived from the Gaelic word buidhe, which was used to describe a person with blonde hair. The surname Bowie is also derived from the Scottish Gaelic personal name Bowen, which refers to the son of Owen.

Early Origins of the Bowie family

The surname Bowie was first found in Kintyre, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Bowie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowie research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bowie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowie Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Bowie has appeared as Bowie, Bowey, Bowy, Bouwie, Bouwey, Bouwy, Bouwy, Bawie, Bawey and many more.

Early Notables of the Bowie family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Bowie of Kintyre

Bowie Ranking

In the United States, the name Bowie is the 2,321^st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Bowie family to Ireland

Some of the Bowie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bowie migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Bowie or a variant listed above include:

Bowie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Bowie (1688-1759), Scottish-born, settler to Nottingham, Prince George's County, Maryland between 1705 and 1706, considered to be the progenitor of the Bowie family in America 2
John Bowie, who arrived in Virginia in 1742 2
Ann Bowie, aged 36, who arrived in Carolina in 1774 2
Ann Bowie who settled in Carolina in 1774
Ralph Bowie, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1783 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bowie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. Bowie, who settled in New Orleans with three children in 1823
John Bowie, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1828 2
Dr. Bowie, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2

Bowie migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bowie Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Bowie, who landed in Halifax Nova Scotia in 1778

Bowie migration to Australia +

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

Bowie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Malcolm Bowie, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
James Bowie, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Medina" 4
Agnes Bowie, aged 18, a nurse maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Bucephalus"

Bowie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bowie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Bowie, (b. 1838), aged 24, British schoolmaster travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 5
Mr. John Bowie, (b. 1814), aged 48, Scottish farm labourer from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 5
Mrs. Mary Bowie, (b. 1814), aged 48, Scottish settler from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 5
Miss Helen Bowie, (b. 1844), aged 18, Scottish domestic servant from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 5
Miss Agnes Bowie, (b. 1846), aged 16, Scottish domestic servant from Ayrshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bowie (post 1700) +

David Bowie (1947-2016), born David Robert Jones, British Primetime Emmy Award, Grammy Award winning musician, winner of 15 awards, nominated for 45, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 17 January 1996
Frentorish "Tori" Bowie (1990-2023), American three-time gold medalist track and field athlete, known primarily in the long jump, 100 m, and 200 m, died at the age of 32
Captain William Bowie (1721-1774), American early colonist in the Province of Maryland, American Revolutionary, member of the Assembly of Freemen, delegate to the Annapolis Convention (1774–1776)
William Bowie B.S., C.E., M.A (1872-1940), American geodetic engineer
Walter Bowie (1748-1810), American politician, member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1780 to 1800
John Ross Bowie (b. 1971), American actor and comedian best known for playing Barry Kripke in The Big Bang Theory
Anthony Lee Bowie (b. 1963), American NBA basketball player
Micah Andrew Bowie (b. 1974), American left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Lester Bowie (1941-1999), American jazz trumpet player and composer
Oden Bowie, American politician, Governor of Maryland (1869-1872)
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bowie family +

Hillcrest Coal Mine

Mr. John Sellar Bowie (1873-1914), Scottish Miner from Thorntown, Banffshire, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 6

HMS Hood

Mr. Duncan Bowie (b. 1918), Scottish Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Glasgow, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 7

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Andrew Malcolm Peter Bowie, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 8

The Bowie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Coelestia seqor
Motto Translation: I follow heavenly things.

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 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MEDINA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/medina1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html