Bowie as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Bowie

What is the meaning of the name Bowie ?

The baby name Bowie is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced BOH-ee,IPA: /ˈboʊ.i/ (US), /ˈbəʊ.i/ (UK).

Bowie is Irish, Scottish in Origin.

Bowie is a Scottish surname-turned-given name pronounced BOH-ee. It is most often traced to Gaelic buidhe, meaning “yellow” or “fair-haired,” a descriptive nickname that became a family name in Scotland and Ulster. Some lines may instead reflect the Irish Ó Buadhaigh, linked to buaidh, “victory,” though that etymology is debated. Related surname forms include Buie, and the spelling Bowey also appears. Nicknames Bo or Bow are natural short forms.

Attested as a Scottish surname since at least the 16th century, Bowie traveled to North America and gained frontier notoriety via Alamo figure James “Jim” Bowie, eponym of the Bowie knife. As a first name it remained uncommon until the late 20th century, then rose sharply under the cultural shadow of musician David Bowie (who adopted the surname from the knife); usage spiked after 2016. Today Bowie is a modern, gender-neutral choice with bright, edgy, and artistic associations.