Bower told various stories about his name change, including that "Bower" was his mother's maiden name, or that he was adopted. Biographer Dan Robson was also told that Barons management may have asked him to, to avoid the post-war discrimination against eastern Europeans, while other sources claim that it was because sports writers often misspelled "Kiszkan". His parents' break up may also have been a factor, suggests Robson, as Bower rarely talked about the situation. His surname was legally changed during his first year of professional hockey. Robson's 2018 book, "Bower: A Legendary Life", dedicates a chapter to the topic.