2000
#6,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Boley
Derived from a place name meaning "bare clearing" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,493 Americans carry the last name Boley. That puts it at #6,766 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,398 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Boley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,398
Census rank
#6,766
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,790 bearers of the surname Boley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6766th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boley
The surname Boley originates from France and is believed to have derived from the French word "bouleau," meaning birch tree. The name traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, when it was common practice for individuals to adopt surnames based on their occupation, physical characteristics, or geographical location.
Boley was initially most prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in areas where birch trees were abundant. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this surname were either involved in the cultivation or trade of birch wood or resided near groves of birch trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boley can be found in the Cartulaire de Sainte-Croix d'Orléans, a medieval cartulary (a collection of charters and legal documents) dated to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Robertus Boleius" in the year 1173, indicating the existence of the surname during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Boley appeared in various forms, such as "Boulay," "Boulai," and "Bouley," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. For instance, the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, dating back to 1240, records a "Guillelmus Boulay" among its entries.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Boley. One such figure was Jacques Boley (1538-1612), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a counselor in the Parliament of Paris. Another prominent bearer of the name was Jean Boley (1620-1692), a French philosopher and theologian who authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the realm of literature, the name Boley is associated with François Boley (1711-1785), a French poet and playwright who gained recognition for his satirical works and comedic plays.
Across the English Channel, the name Boley also found its way into British history. One notable example is William Boley (1749-1829), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Clackmannan from 1796 to 1806.
While the surname Boley has its origins in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals who migrated or descended from French ancestors. The name continues to hold a rich historical legacy, reflecting its ties to the natural world and the diverse experiences of those who have borne it over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boley
Among Census respondents with the surname Boley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Boley 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 Boley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 4,140
- Black or African American6.6% · 317
- Two or more races3.5% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boley
Boley 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
#6,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,990
+149 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 285 places
2020
#6,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,790
-200 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,470 | 4,841 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,755 | 4,990 | 1.69 | +149 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 285 places |
| 2020 | #6,766 | 4,790 | 1.60 | -200 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 11 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 Boley 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 | #6,755 | #6,766 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,990 | 4,790 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.60 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boley bearers went from 4,990 to 4,790 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,755 to #6,766.
FAQ
Boley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,493 living Americans carry the surname Boley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,398 residents.
How common is Boley?
Boley ranks #6,766 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,790 people with the surname Boley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Boley.
Has Boley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boley went from 4,990 recorded bearers to 4,790. That is a decrease of 200 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,755 to #6,766.
What does the Census say about the background of Boley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Boley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (4,140 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Boley (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 Boley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "bare clearing" in Old English, likely referring to a person's residence. 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 Boley (1.60 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 last name Boley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Boley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.