Boehner
A locational surname derived from the German town of Böhmen.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 548 Americans carry the last name Boehner. That puts it at #44,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 625,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boehner surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
548
1 in 625,464
Census rank
#44,500
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
483
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 483 bearers of the surname Boehner in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boehner
The surname Boehner is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria. It is derived from the German word "Böhm," which means "Bohemian," referring to the historical region of Bohemia in modern-day Czech Republic. The name likely originated in the medieval period when Bavarians began using surnames to distinguish families and individuals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boehner can be found in the "Bairisches Geschlechterbuch," a Bavarian genealogical book from the 15th century. This book mentions a Hans Böhner, a nobleman from the town of Landshut, who lived in the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records from the city of Munich. A notable figure was Georg Boehner, a wealthy merchant and banker who lived from 1501 to 1573. He was involved in the city's trade with Italy and other European regions.
The spelling variations of the name include Böhner, Boehner, Boehmer, and Böhmer. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects and the evolution of the German language over time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Boehner was prevalent in the towns and villages around the city of Nuremberg. One notable individual was Johann Boehner, a skilled clockmaker who lived from 1678 to 1742. His intricate clocks and timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility of the time.
In the 19th century, the name spread further across Germany and into other parts of Europe as families migrated for economic and political reasons. One prominent figure was Karl Boehner, a German painter and artist who lived from 1825 to 1898. His landscapes and portraits captured the beauty of the Bavarian countryside and are displayed in various museums across Germany.
As the name Boehner spread, it also found its way to other parts of the world through immigration. In the United States, one notable individual was Johann Boehner, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century. He worked as a farmer and helped establish a thriving German community in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boehner
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Boehner bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Boehner surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3%
- Two or more races2.1%
- Hispanic or Latino1.2%
- Unknown or suppressed0.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Boehner surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #42,056 | #44,500 | -5.8% |
| Count | 486 | 483 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.16 | -11.1% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Boehner bearers went from 486 to 483 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 2,444 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,056 to #44,500.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Boehner
FAQ
Boehner surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Boehner?
The surname Boehner holds position #44,500 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 548 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Boehner surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boehner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic (1.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.