Bowden (pronounced or ) is an English surname of Old English (Anglo-Saxon) origins. In Old English it translates roughly into "dweller by the top of a hill", and is also the name of the towns of Bowden, Ashprington, and Bowden, Yealmpton, in Devon. There is also a village of Great Bowden in rural Leicestershire which was recorded as "Bugedone" in the Domesday Book. Notable people with the surname include:
A Adam Bowden (born 1982), British triathlete and runner Adrian Bowden (born 1947), Australian rules footballer Albert Bowden (1874–1943), Australian cricketer Andre Bowden (born 1968), American arena football player Andrew Bowden (born 1930), British politician Artemisia Bowden (1879–1969), American school administrator and civil rights activist Athel Cornish-Bowden (born 1943), British biochemist Athelstan Cornish-Bowden (1871–1942), British land surveyor in South Africa Audrey Ellerbee Bowden, American engineer and academic
B B. V. Bowden, Baron Bowden (Bertram Vivian Bowden, 1910–1989), English scientist and educationist Ben Bowden (born 1994), American baseball player Benjamin Bowden (1906–1998), English automobile and bicycle designer Billy Bowden (born 1963), New Zealand cricket player and umpire Blair Bowden (1916–1981), Australian naval officer Bob Bowden (1887–1964), Australian rules footballer Bobby Bowden (1929–2021), American college football coach Brad Bowden (born 1983), Canadian ice sledge hockey and wheelchair basketball player Breck Bowden (born 1951), American environmental scientist Brent Bowden (born 1987), American football player
C Caspar Bowden (1961–2015), British privacy advocate Charles Bowden (1945–2014), American author, journalist and essayist Charles Bowden (cricketer) (1860–1909), New Zealand cricketer Charles Bowden (criminal) (born 1965), Irish state's witness Charles Bowden (politician) (1886–1972), New Zealand politician C. E. Bowden (Claude Evelyn Bowden, 1897–1984), British air force officer and aeromodeller Craig Bowden (born 1968), American golfer
D Daniel Bowden (born 1986), New Zealand rugby union footballer David Bowden (1937–2004), Australian Anglican bishop Dawn Bowden (born 1960), Welsh trade unionist and politician Dewayne Bowden (born 1982), New Zealand cricketer Dominic Bowden (born 1977), New Zealand television presenter Don Bowden (born 1936), American middle-distance runner Doug Bowden (1927–2021), New Zealand cricketer Doug Bowden (rowing) (1906–1996), Australian rowing coxswain
E Eric Bowden (1871–1931), Australian solicitor and politician Ernest Bowden (1892–1972), English cricketer
F Francis C. Bowden (1903–1972), American pharmacist and politician from Alaska Frank Bowden (footballer) (1904–1934), English footballer Frank Bowden (tennis) (1908–1977), American tennis player Frank Philip Bowden (1903–1968), Australian physicist Frank Prosser Bowden (1860–1934),Australian public servant in Tasmania Sir Frank Bowden, 1st Baronet (1848–1921), British businessman, founder of the Raleigh Bicycle Company
G George Bowden (Australian politician) (1888–1962), Australian soldier and politician George E. Bowden (1852–1908), American politician from Virginia, nephew of Lemuel J. Bowden Gerald Bowden (1935–2020), British politician
H Harland Bowden (George Robert Harland Bowden, 1873–1927), British politician Harold Bowden (1880–1960), British bicycle company executive and baronet, son of Frank Harry Bowden (1907–1965), American artist Hayley Bowden (born 1984), New Zealand soccer player Henrietta Bowden-Jones (born 1964), British psychiatrist and academic Herbert Bowden, Baron Aylestone (1905–1994), British politician Herbert Bowden (footballer) (1888–1978), Australian rules footballer Horace Bowden (1880–1958), Australian politician from South Australia
J Jack Bowden (1916–1988), Irish cricketer and field hockey player James Bowden (American football) (born 1973), American football player James Bowden (footballer) (1880–1951), English footballer J. E. T. Bowden (James Edwin Theodore Bowden, 1857–1930), American politician in Florida and Georgia Jamie Bowden (diplomat) (born 1960), British diplomat Jamie Bowden (footballer) (born 2001), English footballer Jeff Bowden (born ), American college football coach, son of Bobby Jim Bowden (baseball) (born 1961), American baseball manager Jim Bowden (diver), American technical diver Jim Bowden (rugby league) (died c.2003), English rugby league footballer of the 1950s Joe Bowden (born 1970), American football player Joel Bowden (born 1978), Australian rules footballer and politician John Bowden (architect) (died 1822), Irish architect John Bowden (banker) (1764–1844), Governor of the Bank of England, 1822–1824 John Bowden (cricketer) (born 1973), English cricketer John Bowden (linguist) (born 1958), Australian linguist John Bowden (minister) (died 1750), English Presbyterian minister John Bowden (theologian) (1935–2010), English theologian and publisher John William Bowden (1798–1844), English functionary and writer on church matters Jon Bowden (born 1963), English footballer Jonathan Bowden (1962–2012), British political figure Jordan Bowden (born 1997), American basketball player Joseph Bowden (1884–1958), English cricketer Josh Bowden (born 1992), English rugby league footballer
K Katrina Bowden (born 1988), American actress Ken Bowden (1930–2017), British journalist and golf writer Kirsty Bowden (born 1978), British field hockey player
L Lemuel J. Bowden (1815–1864), American lawyer and politician from Virginia Len Bowden (born 1938), English lawn bowler Lilan Bowden (born 1985), American actress and comedian Logan Scott-Bowden (1920–2014), British army officer Lori Bowden (born 1967), Canadian triathlete Lynn Bowden (born 1997), American football player
M Maree Bowden (born 1979), New Zealand netball player Mark Bowden (born 1951), American writer Mark Bowden (composer) (born 1979), British classical composer Mark Bowden (English author) (born 1970), body language expert Mark Bowden (UN official), British humanitarian and disaster relief worker Martin Bowden (1884–1958), American artist Mary Scott-Bowden (1893–?), English field hockey and cricket player Matt Bowden (born 1971), New Zealand rock musician and activist Matthew Bowden (1779–1814), British surgeon Max Bowden (born 1994), English actor Michael Bowden (baseball) (born 1986), American baseball pitcher Michael Bowden (footballer) (1947–2020), Australian rules football player Mikhaila Bowden (born 1993), American soccer player Mitch Bowden, Canadian indie rock musician Monty Bowden (1865–1892), English cricket wicket-keeper Murry Bowden (born 1949), American football player Mwata Bowden (born 1947), American jazz reeds player
N Nathan Bowden (born 1993), Australian rower Noel Bowden (1926–2009), New Zealand rugby union footballer Norris Bowden (1926–1991), Canadian figure skater
O Oswald Bowden (1912–1977), English footballer
P Pamela Bowden (1925–2003), English contralto singer Patrick Bowden (born 1981), Australian rules footballer Peter Bowden (born 2001), American football player Phily Bowden (born 1995), British runner
R Ray Bowden (1909–1998), English footballer Ray Bowden (rugby union) (1903–1969), Australian rugby union footballer Reg Bowden (born 1949), English rugby league footballer and coach Richard Bowden (born 1945), American country singer, of Pinkard & Bowden Ron Bowden (born 1942), Australian politician Ruth Bowden (1915–2001), English anatomist
S Samuel Bowden (cricketer) (1867–1945), Australian cricketer Samuel Bowden (Medal of Honor) (born c.1846), United States Army corporal Samuel Bowden (poet) (fl.1733–1761), English physician and poet Sandra Bowden (born 1943), American artist Scott Bowden (born 1995), Australian mountain biking and road cyclist Sean Bowden (born 1970), Australian rules footballer and lawyer Steve Bowden (born 1955), Australian rugby league footballer
T Terry Bowden (born 1956), American football coach, son of Bobby Thomas Adolphus Bowden (1824–1906), New Zealand Anglican cleric Thomas Russell Bowden (1841–1893), American Attorney General in Virginia Tim Bowden (1937–2024), Australian author, broadcaster and oral historian Tim Bowden (baseball) (1891–1949), American baseball player Tom Derek Bowden (1921–2019), British Army cavalry officer and parachutist Tommy Bowden (born 1954) American college football coach, son of Bobby
V Vivian Gordon Bowden (1884–1942), Australian public servant and diplomat Vivian Lee Bowden (1943–2017), American science journalist
W Walter Bowden (1910–2001), American handball player William P. Bowden (born 1932), United States Air Force officer
Z Zoë Bowden, British physicist and instrumentation scientist
See also Bowden-Smith Bowden baronets Boden (surname)
References