Bowie
Gender-neutral name · Celtic Gaelic · Irish · Welsh
Meaningyellow-haired · Scottish
- US rank
- #1,227
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #951 in 2021
164 babies were named Bowie in the US in 2025. It has dropped 108 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 2006–2025
US births per million boys, 1920–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Bowie you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 10,417 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Bowie, 164 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bowie would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryBowie first shows up in US birth records in 1920, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 105 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2021, when it reached #951.
- Then vs nowBowie is 31× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 322,581 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 10,417.
- TrendBowie has slipped 108 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,227. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedBowie is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #515, followed by Oregon (#604) and Ohio (#855). It's in the top 1,000 in 5 states.
- Boy or girlBowie is given to both boys and girls: 58% of the 281 babies named Bowie in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
- MeaningIn Scottish, Bowie means “yellow-haired”. Our records link it to Celtic Gaelic, Irish and Welsh roots.
About the name Bowie
Bowie is a gender-neutral name of Celtic Gaelic, Irish and Welsh origin meaning “yellow-haired”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with B and ending in “-wie”. US birth records list Bowie for boys from 1920 to 2025, in 37 of those 106 years. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked #951 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,227, with 164 babies. Of the 281 US babies named Bowie in 2025, 42% were girls and 58% were boys.
Origin:Celtic Gaelic namesIrish namesWelsh names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.9 | 203,046 girls |
| 2010s | 31 | 31,766 girls |
| 2020s | 72 | 13,841 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 0.5 | 2,127,660 boys |
| 1970s | 0.9 | 1,063,830 boys |
| 1980s | 1.7 | 595,238 boys |
| 1990s | 1.0 | 1,000,000 boys |
| 2000s | 6.6 | 151,057 boys |
| 2010s | 48 | 20,700 boys |
| 2020s | 110 | 9,130 boys |
More Celtic Gaelic names
- Girl name: Hazel · hazel tree
- Girl name: Genevieve · possibly woman of the people
- Girl name: Brianna · possibly noble, strong
- Girl name: Maisie · pearl
- Boy name: Bowen · son of Owen
- Boy name: Malcolm · devotee of Saint Columba
- Girl name: Bonnie · pretty
- Girl name: Cecelia · blind
Questions about the name Bowie
What does the name Bowie mean?
Bowie means “yellow-haired” in Scottish.
What is the origin of the name Bowie?
Bowie has Celtic Gaelic, Irish, Welsh roots in our records. Other Celtic Gaelic names include Hazel, Genevieve, Brianna.
Is Bowie a boy or girl name?
Both. Bowie is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 42% of US babies named Bowie were girls.
How popular is the name Bowie?
Bowie ranked #1,227 for US boys in 2025, given to 164 babies. Its best year was 2021 (#951).