Bowie is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bowie means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bowie across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bowie has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bowie is a unisex name of Scottish (Gaelic) origin meaning “yellow-haired, fair”. A Scottish surname from buidhe meaning blond, borne by David Bowie.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 3,520 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 784 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 40 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 178 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Bowie per year, United States (1920 to 2025). United States peaked in 2021 (375/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (131/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (25/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2024 (9/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2022 (4/yr).
Bowie is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2021, when it ranked #1,452 nationally (given to 400 babies that year).
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