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Bowden

♂ Boy

Pronounced BOW-dehn /ˈbaʊ.dɛn/Medium

Meaning: above the hill / bow hillLow

In 30 seconds: Bowden is an English name meaning 'above the hill' or 'bow hill'.
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Origin MediumEnglish
Meaningabove the hill / bow hill
U.S. rank (2024)#2595 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births51 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 577

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202419762024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Bowden comes from English place and surname elements, with the sense of land above a hill or a curved, bow-shaped hill. Like many English -den and -don names, it began as a way of marking where someone lived before becoming a family name and eventually a first name. Its meaning keeps it tied to the shape of the land.

The two-syllable, hill-rooted sound puts it alongside other landscape surnames now used for boys. It carries a settled, place-bound feel.

Did you know? Bowden is a habitational surname from Old English boga 'bow' + dun 'hill' (or bufan dune 'above the hill').
Overall data confidence 62%
Behind the Name - Bowden — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSVEtymology — Bowden — meaning/etymology

Variations

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Nicknames

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If you like Bowden…

Braden— Shares the -aden/-den ending common to English place-and-surname names like Bowden.
Holden— Another English surname name ending in -den that became a first name.
Camden— An English place-derived -den name used for boys, close to Bowden in form and origin.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bowden mean?

Bowden means 'above the hill' or 'bow hill', an English habitational surname from Old English boga and dun.

How do you pronounce Bowden?

It's commonly said BOW-dehn /ˈbaʊ.dɛn/.

Is Bowden a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Bowden is used as a boy name.

How popular is Bowden?

In 2024, Bowden ranked #2595 in the U.S. for boys, with 51 births recorded.