2000
#3,656
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.31
Uncommon Last name
Bolen
Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Beolláin" meaning "descendant of Beollán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,123 Americans carry the last name Bolen. That puts it at #3,904 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolen 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
10K
1 in 33,859
Census rank
#3,904
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,828 bearers of the surname Bolen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3904th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolen
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolen 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 Bolen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 7,812
- Two or more races4.6% · 403
- Black or African American3.2% · 281
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 216
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolen
Bolen 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
#3,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,323
+396 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 137 places
2020
#3,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,828
-495 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.95
Rank movement Down 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,656 | 8,927 | 3.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,793 | 9,323 | 3.16 | +396 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 137 places |
| 2020 | #3,904 | 8,828 | 2.95 | -495 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 111 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 Bolen 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 | #3,793 | #3,904 | -2.9% |
| Count | 9,323 | 8,828 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 2.95 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolen bearers went from 9,323 to 8,828 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,793 to #3,904.
FAQ
Bolen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolen?
Name Census estimates that about 10,123 living Americans carry the surname Bolen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,859 residents.
How common is Bolen?
Bolen ranks #3,904 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.95 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 8,828 people with the surname Bolen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.95 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 Bolen.
Has Bolen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolen went from 9,323 recorded bearers to 8,828. That is a decrease of 495 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,793 to #3,904.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Bolen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (7,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (3.2%). 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 Bolen (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 Bolen mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Beolláin" meaning "descendant of Beollán," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Bolen (2.95 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 surname Bolen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.