Bowles

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A family name of English origin, borne by various people over the centuries and across generations
2. A surname of English origin that has been carried by many individuals in different countries
3. An English family name, shared by numerous people and traceable to medieval records

Etymology: "Bowles" is the plural of "bowle," an obsolete English word for a bowl, the wooden or metal vessel used for drinking, serving, or washing. The singular "bowle" was itself a variant spelling of "bowl," so "bowles" simply carries the older form of the word into its plural. Earlier English writers often wrote the spelling with the final -e and the older plural ending, a pattern common in texts from before standard spelling settled in the early modern period.