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

Bohanon, 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 Bohanon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bohanon in America

Bohanon is the 16130th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bohanon surname appeared 1,794 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bohanon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bohanon 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 Bohanon

The surname Bohanon is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Banain," which means "descendant of Banan." The name Banan is derived from the Irish word "bán," meaning "white" or "fair-haired."

The earliest recorded instances of the Bohanon surname date back to the 16th century in County Donegal, Ireland. It was common for Irish surnames to be anglicized during this period, resulting in variations like Bohanon, Bohannon, and Bohannan.

One of the earliest known references to the Bohanon name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Niall Ó Banain who was a chieftain in Donegal in the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, many Bohanons immigrated to the American colonies, particularly to Virginia and the Carolinas. One notable figure was Robert Bohanon, who was born in Ireland around 1680 and settled in Virginia. He served as a captain in the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War.

Another prominent individual with the Bohanon surname was John Bohanon (1773-1845), an American Revolutionary War veteran and early settler in Kentucky. He was a member of the Virginia militia and fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House.

In the 19th century, James Bohanon (1812-1890) was a wealthy plantation owner and entrepreneur in Mississippi. He owned several cotton plantations and was involved in various business ventures.

William Bohanon (1856-1932) was a Scottish-born engineer and inventor who held numerous patents for mining machinery and equipment. He made significant contributions to the mining industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Throughout history, the Bohanon surname has been associated with various locations in Ireland, particularly in counties Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone, where it has its roots. The name has also been linked to place names such as Bohanon Hill in Virginia and Bohanon Creek in Kentucky, reflecting the migration patterns of Bohanon families in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bohanon

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

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 Bohanon 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 Bohanon 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 Bohanon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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