Boy name · Scottish Gaelic
Bowie
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: yellowBowie is a boy's name that comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "yellow". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Yellow
- Origin
- Scottish Gaelic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1228 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Bowie
As a boy's name, Bowie comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "yellow". It is used in English and Scottish.
Bowie is also a surname: the 3,123rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 11,239 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Bowie on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Bowie on 3 lists.
“For a glam-rock cat with one-of-a-kind eyes”
From Boy cat names, artist and musician names for boy cats
“Scottish Gaelic for yellow; Alamo defender Jim carried it”
From Cowboy names, western boy names
“Glam, bold and never the same twice”
From Unique dog names, names inspired by musicians and artists
How popular is Bowie?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,228
- 164 babies, 96 per million boys
- Best rank
- #952 in 2021
- 237 babies that year
- Babies since 1920
- At least 2,235
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 1 per million |
| 2000s | 7 per million |
| 2010s | 48 per million |
| 2020s | 110 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,330 | #1,193 | #987 | #1,203 | #1,119 | #952 | #1,093 | #1,098 | #1,212 | #1,228 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Bowie
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- XantheGolden, yellow (Greek, girl)
- FlavioYellow, golden, blond (Latin, boy)
- FulviaYellow, tawny (Latin, girl)
- FulvioYellow, tawny (Latin, boy)
- XanthippeYellow horse (Greek, girl)
Middle names for Bowie
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Scottish Gaelic
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KennethAnglicized Coinneach, handsome, and Cináed, perhaps born of fire (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CameronCrooked nose (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CampbellCrooked mouth (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- ColinWhelp, young dog (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CraigRock, crag (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DonnchadhBrown warrior (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Bowie: common questions
What does the name Bowie mean?
Bowie comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "yellow".
Is Bowie a boy or girl name?
Bowie is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 117 girls and 164 boys in the US were named Bowie, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Bowie come from?
Bowie comes from Scottish Gaelic and means "yellow". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Bowie?
Bowie ranked #1,228 in the US in 2025, with 164 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Bowie?
Names spelled like Bowie include Bodie and Bowen.
What middle names go with Bowie?
Middle names that flow well with Bowie include Alexander, Dennis, Evander, Lance and Quentin. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.