Boleslaus
A masculine Slavic name meaning "one who is great".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Boleslaus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Boleslaus today is around 99 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Boleslaus births was 1923 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Boleslaus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Boleslaus is about 99 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Boleslaus' were born before 1937.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Boleslaus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1923
25 babies that year
Average age
99
years old
1932 SSA rank
#3,119
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Boleslaus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Boleslaus from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 129 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Boleslaus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Boleslaus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Boleslaus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Michigan, Illinois recorded the most babies named Boleslaus, while Illinois, Michigan, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Boleslaus
The given name Boleslaus has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly Polish and Czech. It is derived from the Proto-Slavic root words "bolj" meaning "greater" and "slav" meaning "glory" or "renowned". The name can be translated to mean "the renowned one" or "the glorious one".
The name Boleslaus first appeared in historical records around the 10th century, during the early medieval period in Central Europe. It was particularly popular among the ruling dynasties and noble families of Poland, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), and other Slavic regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Boleslaus was Boleslaus I the Cruel, who ruled as Duke of Bohemia from 935 to 967 CE. He was known for his military conquests and expansion of the Bohemian territories.
In Poland, the name was borne by several notable rulers of the Piast dynasty, including Boleslaus I the Brave (967-1025), who was crowned the first King of Poland in 1025. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Polish state and the spread of Christianity in the region.
Another prominent figure was Boleslaus III Wrymouth (1086-1138), who ruled as Duke of Poland and is credited with unifying the Polish lands after a period of fragmentation. His reign saw the development of Polish law and the consolidation of the Catholic Church's influence in the country.
In the 12th century, Boleslaus IV the Curly (1120-1173) ruled as High Duke of Poland and is remembered for his conflicts with the Holy Roman Empire and the Teutonic Knights.
The name Boleslaus also appears in various medieval chronicles and religious texts, including the Chronica Polonorum (Chronicle of the Poles) by Gallus Anonymus, written in the 12th century.
Other notable individuals with the name Boleslaus include Boleslaus I, Duke of Silesia (1127-1201), and Boleslaus I, Duke of Masovia (1208-1248), who ruled over regions that are now part of modern-day Poland and Germany.
While the name Boleslaus may not be as common today, it remains an important part of Slavic history and culture, with its roots stretching back to the early medieval period and the establishment of various Slavic kingdoms and principalities.
People
Boleslaus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Boleslaus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Boleslaus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Boleslaus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Boleslaus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Boleslaus a common name?
We classify Boleslaus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 255 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Boleslaus most popular?
The single biggest year for Boleslaus was 1923, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Boleslaus is about 99 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Boleslaus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Boleslaus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Boleslaus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Boleslaus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Boleslaus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Boleslaus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Boleslaus as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.