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

Bolas, 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 Bolas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bolas in America

Bolas is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bolas surname appeared 269 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 Bolas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bolas 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 Bolas

The surname BOLAS has its origins in Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "bola," which means a ball or sphere. The name likely emerged in the medieval period, possibly referring to someone who made or worked with balls or spheres.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BOLAS surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In a manuscript from the Archives of the Kingdom of Aragon, a certain Pedro BOLAS was mentioned as a resident of the town of Calatayud in the year 1262.

In the 15th century, the BOLAS name appeared in several historical records from the region of Castile, specifically in the town of Medina del Campo. A notable figure was Juan BOLAS, a merchant who traded in textiles and was involved in the famous Fairs of Medina del Campo, which were important commercial events in medieval Spain.

During the 16th century, the BOLAS surname spread to other parts of Spain, including the Basque Country. In a document from the town of Bilbao, dated 1537, a certain Martín BOLAS was recorded as a shipwright, indicating the name's association with maritime activities in the region.

One of the most prominent individuals with the BOLAS surname was Diego BOLAS (1573-1638), a Spanish painter from Seville who was known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in several churches and museums across Andalusia.

In the 17th century, the BOLAS name also appears in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. For instance, a Pedro BOLAS was listed as a settler in the city of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) in 1629.

Another notable figure was Gaspar BOLAS (1670-1742), a Spanish military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession and was awarded the title of Marquis of San Pedro for his service to the Crown.

As the BOLAS surname spread across Spain and its territories, it underwent various spelling variations, such as BOLA, BOLAS, and BOLES, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of the Spanish language over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bolas

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

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

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

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