The Surname "Bower"
German
The historical and enchanting region of Austria is the birthplace of the distinguished family name Bower. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Otto I defeated the Magyars in 955. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century. One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families.Variations of the name Bower include Bauer, Baur, Bauerr, Bauerre, Bower, Boerema, Bohr, Burr and many more.
First found in Austria and Bavaria, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.
Scottish
Bower is an ancient name for a person who worked as a maker of bows. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word which means bow maker. Surnames that evolved in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. bower has appeared as Bower, Bowre, Bowyr, Bowers, Bowyer, Beauer and many more.
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