Find out how popular the last name Boff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Boff.

Boff, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Boff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boff in America

Boff is the 51941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boff surname appeared 400 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Boff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boff to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Boff

The surname BOFF has its origins in the German language, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "boffen," which means "to beat" or "to strike." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a specific trade or occupation involving striking or pounding, such as a blacksmith or a cobbler.

The name BOFF was initially concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was commonly found in historical records and manuscripts from the medieval period. One notable reference is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of charters and documents from the 13th century, which mentions a certain "Heinrich Boff" from the town of Meissen.

In the 15th century, the surname BOFF began to spread throughout other parts of Germany, with several families bearing the name appearing in city records and tax rolls. One prominent example is Johann Boff, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived from 1435 to 1501, and whose business dealings are documented in the city's archives.

As the name continued to disperse across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Boff, Boffe, Boeffe, and Boffen. These variations can be found in historical records from different regions, reflecting the linguistic influences and local dialects of the time.

One of the earliest known instances of the name BOFF outside of Germany is in the Netherlands, where a certain Willem Boff is recorded as a resident of Amsterdam in the late 16th century. This suggests that the name had already begun to spread beyond its original German borders by this point.

In the 17th century, the BOFF surname gained further recognition with the emergence of notable figures bearing the name. One such figure was Johann Michael Boff, a German composer and organist who lived from 1639 to 1704 and whose works were widely performed and published during his lifetime.

Another notable bearer of the BOFF surname was Friedrich Boff, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1701 to 1789. His writings on religious and philosophical themes were widely influential during the Age of Enlightenment.

As the surname continued to spread across Europe and beyond, it became associated with various place names and locations. For example, the town of Boffzen in Lower Saxony, Germany, is believed to have derived its name from the BOFF surname, reflecting the presence of families bearing this name in the area.

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the BOFF surname, including:

1. Johann Georg Boff (1685-1762), a German painter known for his religious and historical works.
2. Gerhard Boff (1765-1831), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
3. Amalie Boff (1818-1892), a German novelist and poet whose works explored themes of love and social issues.
4. Theodor Boff (1876-1945), a German architect known for his work in the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style.
5. Hans Boff (1903-1977), a German philosopher and theologian whose works explored the relationship between Christianity and modernity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boff

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Boff.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Boff was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Boff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Boff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Boff, please contact us.

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