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

Bolen, 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 Bolen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bolen in America

Bolen is the 3793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bolen surname appeared 9,323 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bolen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bolen 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 Bolen

The surname Bolen is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "bole," which referred to a small dwelling or a hut. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived in such humble abodes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the Rhineland region, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears as "Bolen," suggesting that the current spelling has remained relatively unchanged over the centuries.

In the 14th century, a reference to a certain Henrich Bolen can be found in the records of the town of Cologne, where he was listed as a landowner. This indicates that by that time, the Bolen family had established themselves as a respected lineage in the region.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling. In England, for instance, it was sometimes recorded as "Bollen" or "Bollin," while in France, it appeared as "Boulain" or "Boullen."

One notable figure bearing the Bolen surname was Johann Bolen, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1486 to 1550. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another individual of note was Hendrick Bolen, a Dutch explorer and navigator who lived from 1620 to 1678. He is credited with mapping several previously uncharted islands in the South Pacific and contributing to the Dutch East India Company's exploration efforts.

In the literary world, Anna Bolen (1802-1884) was a renowned German poet and novelist, known for her vivid descriptions of rural life and her contributions to the Romantic movement.

Moving to the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Bolen name can be found in the passenger lists of the ship Concord, which arrived in Philadelphia in 1683. Among the passengers was a family with the surname Bolen, suggesting that the name had already made its way across the Atlantic by that time.

Finally, in more recent history, James Bolen (1918-2002) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Bolen Corporation, a successful manufacturing company, and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and cultural institutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bolen

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

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

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

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