Bowden
Bowden was the 1944th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 79 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,378 places. More babies were named Bowden in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Boden) surname with several origins · German, English, Irish
- Rank in 2025
- #1,944 boys, up 1,135 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 79boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202579 babies
- Total since 1880
- 656babies recorded
What does the name Bowden mean?
Bowden is a spelling of Boden, pronounced the same way, so it shares Boden's meaning and origin.
Boden is a surname with several independent origins, according to Wiktionary. In northern Germany it comes from the personal name Bode, from Old Saxon bodo 'messenger'; in German it can also be the word Boden 'ground, floor'; in Sweden it is from bod 'small hut'; in Ireland it can render Ó Buadáin 'descendant of Buadán'; and in England it is a variant of Bawden. As an American boys' name it is recent and follows names like Braden and Bode.
bodo (Old Saxon, “messenger”)bod (Swedish, “small hut”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several surname sources lead to the same spelling.
Related names: Bode, Bowden, Braden.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Boden', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Bowden popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,944 | 79 |
| 2020 | #3,079 | 37 |
| 2010 | #5,507 | 16 |
| 2000 | #10,553 | 5 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Bowden, counting every spelling?
Bowden is a spelling of Boden, a name family that ranked #601 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,944 for Bowden on its own. Together these spellings went to 467 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boden | 333 | #769 | 1,552 |
| Bowden | 79 | #1,944 | 252 |
| Bodin | 40 | #3,043 | 132 |
| Bodyn | 10 | #7,748 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Bowden?
79 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bowden (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Bowden born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 106 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bowden.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bowden?
About 700 people born in the US named Bowden are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 3 and 14. That makes Bowden a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Bowden by state
How common Bowden was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 46 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bowden: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bowden, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Bowden
What does Bowden mean?
Bowden is a spelling of Boden, usually explained as “surname with several origins”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Bowden?
Bowden was the 1944th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 79 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 3,378 places. More babies were named Bowden in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Bowden a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Bowden in the US.
Where is Bowden most popular?
In 2021–2025, Bowden was most common in South Dakota (0.27 per 1,000 boys), followed by Georgia and Ohio.