Bowens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the Celtic land of Wales came the name of Bowens. The Welsh name Bowens is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Owen, or Owein. The surname Bowens was originally ab-Owen: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix “ab” or “ap,” means “son of,” but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time. [1]

Early Origins of the Bowens family

The surname Bowens was first found in Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro), a county in south-west Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth. However, the family are also numerous in Shropshire. [2]

Early census records for Wales are rare so we should not be surprised to find that one of the first records was found as late as 1487, where Lewis ap-Owen, was listed in County of Cardigan. [1]

Early History of the Bowens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bowens research.

Bowens Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variationswere, however, also carried out according to an individual’s design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one’s name. The spelling variations of the name Bowens have included Bowen, Bowne, Bowan, Bowin, Bowene, Bowane and many more.

Early Notables of the Bowens family (pre 1700)

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Robert Ap John Ap Thomas Ap Owein, son of the Lord of Ynysdderne; and Richard Bowen (1761-1797) was a British naval commander. He died during the failed storming of Santa Cruz de Tenerife as he captained HMS Terpsichore. Because of the failure, a memorial to him to be erected in Westminster Abbey was denied.

Bowens Ranking

In the United States, the name Bowens is the 2,649^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. [3]

 Migration of the Bowens family to Ireland

Some of the Bowens family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Bowens migration to Canada +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Walesjourneyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Bowens: 

Bowens Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Thomas Bowens was a fisherman of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland in 1760

Contemporary Notables of the name Bowens (post 1700) +

• Robert Bowens (b. 1922), American politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Oakland County 2nd District, 1962; Appointed 1962 [4]

Related Stories +

The Bowens 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.