2000
#3,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,397
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.48
Uncommon Last name
Bohn
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "bone" meaning "bean" or "bean grower."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,513 Americans carry the last name Bohn. That puts it at #3,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bohn 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 Bohn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,603
Census rank
#3,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,168 bearers of the surname Bohn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bohn
The surname Bohn is of German origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "bune," which means "legume" or "bean." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who grew or sold beans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bohn can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg in 1293, where a person named Chunrat Bune is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Bune," is believed to be an earlier form of the modern surname Bohn.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records across German-speaking regions. For example, in the city of Frankfurt, a person named Johannes Bohn is mentioned in a document dated 1372.
During the 15th century, the name began to spread to other parts of Europe. In the Netherlands, a prominent figure named Willem Bohn (1450-1521) was a respected scholar and author who wrote several books on philosophy and theology.
In the 16th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Bohn (1549-1622), a German Protestant theologian and author who played a significant role in the Reformation movement.
Another notable figure with the surname Bohn was Johann Gottfried Bohn (1685-1762), a German historian and bibliographer who is best known for his work titled "Bibliotheca Philosophica," a comprehensive bibliography of philosophical literature.
In the 18th century, Christian Friedrich Bohn (1742-1814) was a German writer and educator who published several works on education and pedagogy.
During the 19th century, the name Bohn became more widespread across Europe and North America. One notable individual from this period was Henry G. Bohn (1796-1884), an English publisher and bookseller who founded the publishing firm "Bohn's Libraries," which specialized in reprinting classic works of literature and philosophy.
Throughout history, the surname Bohn has been associated with various professions, including scholars, theologians, writers, educators, and merchants. While the name originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bohn
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bohn 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 Bohn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 8,416
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 319
- Two or more races3.0% · 271
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bohn
Bohn 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
#3,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,272
-125 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 3.14
Rank movement Down 345 places
2020
#3,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,168
-104 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 3.07
Rank movement Up 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,477 | 9,397 | 3.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,822 | 9,272 | 3.14 | -125 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 345 places |
| 2020 | #3,773 | 9,168 | 3.07 | -104 bearers (-1.1%) | Up 49 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 Bohn 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 | #3,822 | #3,773 | 1.3% |
| Count | 9,272 | 9,168 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.14 | 3.07 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bohn bearers went from 9,272 to 9,168 (-1.1% change). The surname moved up 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,822 to #3,773.
FAQ
Bohn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bohn?
Name Census estimates that about 10,513 living Americans carry the surname Bohn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,603 residents.
How common is Bohn?
Bohn ranks #3,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,168 people with the surname Bohn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,513), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bohn.
Has Bohn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bohn went from 9,272 recorded bearers to 9,168. That is a decrease of 104 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,822 to #3,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Bohn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bohn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bohn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (8,416 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bohn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bohn (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 Bohn mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "bone" meaning "bean" or "bean grower." 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 Bohn (3.07 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 have the last name Bohn?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Bohn is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.