2000
#12,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Bober
A surname of Polish, Ukrainian, or Jewish origin, derived from the word "bóbr," meaning "beaver."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,297 Americans carry the last name Bober. That puts it at #14,366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bober 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 Bober with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,218
Census rank
#14,366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,003 bearers of the surname Bober in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bober, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bober
The surname BOBER is of Polish origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Polish word "bober," which means beaver. This animal was once abundant in the forests and rivers of Poland, making it a logical basis for a surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BOBER surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Poloniae, a collection of Polish historical documents dating back to the 11th century. In this text, there is a mention of a landowner named Bogusław BOBER in the region of Silesia during the year 1287.
The BOBER name also appears in the Metryka Koronna, a register of Polish nobility and landowners from the 15th to 18th centuries. One notable figure was Jan BOBER, a nobleman from the Krakow region who lived in the early 16th century and played a role in the local administration.
During the Renaissance period, the BOBER surname gained prominence in the arts and literature. Mikołaj BOBER (1512-1585) was a celebrated Polish writer, poet, and translator who helped popularize the use of the Polish language in literature and contributed to the development of the Polish literary canon.
In the 18th century, the BOBER name was associated with military accomplishments. Józef BOBER (1720-1792) was a Polish general who fought in the Bar Confederation, a series of uprisings against the Russian influence in Poland. He is remembered for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.
Another noteworthy figure was Franciszek BOBER (1869-1949), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aviation technology. He designed and built one of the first successful gliders in Poland, paving the way for future advancements in aviation.
While the BOBER surname originated in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora communities. However, the name's rich history and cultural significance remain deeply rooted in its Polish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bober
Among Census respondents with the surname Bober, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bober 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 Bober surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 1,807
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 115
- Two or more races2.1% · 42
- Black or African American0.9% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bober
Bober 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
#13,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,230
-21 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 977 places
2020
#14,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,003
-227 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 773 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,616 | 2,251 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,593 | 2,230 | 0.76 | -21 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 977 places |
| 2020 | #14,366 | 2,003 | 0.67 | -227 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 773 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 Bober 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 | #13,593 | #14,366 | -5.7% |
| Count | 2,230 | 2,003 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.67 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bober bearers went from 2,230 to 2,003 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 773 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,593 to #14,366.
FAQ
Bober surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bober?
Name Census estimates that about 2,297 living Americans carry the surname Bober. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,218 residents.
How common is Bober?
Bober ranks #14,366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,003 people with the surname Bober. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Bober.
Has Bober become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bober went from 2,230 recorded bearers to 2,003. That is a decrease of 227 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,593 to #14,366.
What does the Census say about the background of Bober?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bober, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Bober in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (1,807 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bober appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (5.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Bober (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 Bober mean?
A surname of Polish, Ukrainian, or Jewish origin, derived from the word "bóbr," meaning "beaver." 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 Bober (0.67 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 people share the surname Bober?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.