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

Bois, 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 Bois surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bois in America

Bois is the 29447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bois surname appeared 802 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 Bois.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bois 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 Bois

The surname BOIS originated from the Old French word "bois" meaning "wood" or "forest". It is believed to have first appeared in France during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century.

The name was initially derived from a geographic location or a topographic feature, referring to someone who lived near or in a wooded area. It was common for surnames to be based on the natural environment or landscape during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BOIS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, England, dated 1195, where a person named Radulphus de Bois is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already spread from France to parts of England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ermengarde du Bois was recorded as the Abbess of the Fontevraud Abbey in Anjou, France, from 1218 to 1246. This example highlights the presence of the surname among religious figures of the time.

During the 14th century, a prominent English knight named John du Bois fought alongside Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346. His bravery and service to the king were recognized, and he was granted lands in Essex.

Another notable figure was Pierre du Bois, a medieval political theorist born in Normandy around 1250. He served as a counselor to King Philip IV of France and wrote influential works on government and Church reforms.

In the 15th century, a French explorer named Guillaume le Breton Bois-Robert was among the first Europeans to explore the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada, contributing to the early exploration and mapping of the region.

As the name spread across Europe, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Boyce, Boise, Boyce, and Du Bois, reflecting regional influences and linguistic adaptations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bois

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

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

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

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