2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bokern
A locational surname derived from the village of Bokern in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Bokern. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bokern 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Bokern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bokern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bokern
The surname Bokern is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Low German word "boken," which means beech tree. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a prominent beech tree or in an area densely populated with beech trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bokern can be found in the church records of the town of Uelzen, located in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. In these records, a man named Hans Bokern is mentioned as a resident of the town in the year 1568.
During the 17th century, the name Bokern appeared in various documents across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 1642, a man named Jürgen Bokern was listed as a landowner in the village of Wittingen, near Wolfsburg.
In the 18th century, the name Bokern gained prominence with the birth of Johann Christian Bokern (1728-1803), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Aurich, East Frisia. His works on religious and philosophical topics were widely read during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the surname Bokern was Friedrich Wilhelm Bokern (1799-1859), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives in the mid-19th century. He was a vocal advocate for democratic reforms and played a role in the Revolutions of 1848.
In the 19th century, the name Bokern also appeared in historical records in the Netherlands, possibly due to migration from neighboring regions of Germany. One example is Cornelis Bokern (1834-1902), a Dutch businessman and entrepreneur who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in the city of Tilburg.
As the 20th century dawned, the surname Bokern continued to be present in various parts of Germany and the Netherlands. One notable individual was Hildegard Bokern (1907-1983), a German artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her abstract works and public installations.
Throughout its history, the surname Bokern has maintained its connection to its Germanic roots, with most early records of the name found in northern Germany and the surrounding regions. While not a particularly common surname, it has persisted over the centuries and continues to be carried by individuals of German and Dutch descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bokern
Among Census respondents with the surname Bokern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bokern 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 Bokern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 107
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bokern
Bokern 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+12 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,707 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 2,707 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,617 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 Bokern 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 | #141,140 | #145,757 | -3.3% |
| Count | 118 | 115 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bokern bearers went from 118 to 115 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,617 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #145,757.
FAQ
Bokern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bokern?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Bokern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Bokern?
Bokern ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Bokern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bokern.
Has Bokern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bokern went from 118 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Bokern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bokern, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Bokern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bokern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Bokern (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 Bokern mean?
A locational surname derived from the village of Bokern in Germany. 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 Bokern (0.04 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 are called Bokern?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Bokern on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.