2000
#9,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Boaz
A Hebrew surname derived from the name of a biblical figure known for his strength and swiftness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,512 Americans carry the last name Boaz. That puts it at #10,037 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boaz surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Boaz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,595
Census rank
#10,037
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,063 bearers of the surname Boaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10037th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boaz
The surname Boaz has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language and is derived from the Biblical name Boaz, which means "strength" or "swiftness." This name is most famously associated with the character of Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Elimelech, who married Ruth, the Moabite woman, in the Book of Ruth.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Boaz can be traced back to the 12th century in medieval England, where it was likely adopted by Jewish families as a mark of their religious identity. It is believed that the name may have been brought to England by Jewish merchants or scholars who had traveled from the Middle East or the Iberian Peninsula.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Boaz was predominantly found in Jewish communities across Europe, particularly in areas with significant Jewish populations, such as Spain, France, and Germany. Some notable individuals with the surname Boaz from this period include Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak Boaz, a prominent Talmudic scholar who lived in the 13th century in Catalonia, Spain.
By the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Boaz had spread across Europe and was adopted by both Jewish and Christian families. In England, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Boaz was mentioned in 1597.
Throughout the centuries, the Boaz surname has been associated with several notable figures, including Miguel Boaz (1611-1668), a Portuguese-Jewish merchant and diplomat who played a crucial role in the resettlement of Jews in England after their expulsion in 1290. Another prominent individual was Sir Jacob Boaz (1708-1782), a British merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Liverpool.
In the 19th century, the Boaz surname gained prominence in the United States, where it was likely brought by Jewish immigrants from various parts of Europe. One notable American with this surname was Hiram Adolphus Boaz (1866-1943), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who served as the president of the University of Southern California from 1924 to 1928.
While the surname Boaz has its roots in the ancient Hebrew language and is closely tied to Jewish history and culture, it has since been adopted by families of various backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Boaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Boaz bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Boaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 2,480
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 175
- Two or more races4.9% · 150
- Black or African American4.9% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boaz
Boaz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,157
+20 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 698 places
2020
#10,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,063
-94 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,506 | 3,137 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,204 | 3,157 | 1.07 | +20 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 698 places |
| 2020 | #10,037 | 3,063 | 1.02 | -94 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 167 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Boaz surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,204 | #10,037 | 1.6% |
| Count | 3,157 | 3,063 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.02 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boaz bearers went from 3,157 to 3,063 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,204 to #10,037.
FAQ
Boaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boaz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,512 living Americans carry the surname Boaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,595 residents.
How common is Boaz?
Boaz ranks #10,037 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,063 people with the surname Boaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,512), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Boaz.
Has Boaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boaz went from 3,157 recorded bearers to 3,063. That is a decrease of 94 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,204 to #10,037.
What does the Census say about the background of Boaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boaz, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Boaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (2,480 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Boaz (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Boaz mean?
A Hebrew surname derived from the name of a biblical figure known for his strength and swiftness. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Boaz (1.02 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Boaz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.