2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Boleyjack
A locational surname possibly derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Boleyjack. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boleyjack 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Boleyjack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boleyjack, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and White (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boleyjack
The surname Boleyjack has its origins in the English county of Lancashire, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from a combination of two Old English words, "bole" meaning a dwelling or homestead, and "jack" which was a common diminutive or nickname for the name John.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boleyjack appears in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Aughton, Lancashire, in the year 1587. Here, a certain William Boleyjack is listed as a landholder and farmer in the area.
By the 17th century, variations of the name such as Boleyjacke, Bolejacke, and Bolejake were found in various documents and records across Lancashire and the neighboring counties of Cheshire and Yorkshire. This suggests that the name had spread across the region over time.
In 1642, during the English Civil War, a Peter Boleyjack is mentioned in a military muster roll as serving in the Royalist forces under Prince Rupert. This provides evidence of the name's existence during this turbulent period in English history.
As the centuries progressed, the name Boleyjack remained predominantly centered in the northern counties of England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Roger Boleyjack (1718-1793), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Wigan, Lancashire.
2. Elizabeth Boleyjack (1777-1849), an author and poet from Manchester, whose work was published in various literary journals of the time.
3. John Boleyjack (1832-1911), a successful industrialist and owner of several textile mills in the town of Burnley, Lancashire.
4. William Boleyjack (1861-1928), a renowned architect responsible for designing several landmark buildings in the city of Liverpool.
5. Catherine Boleyjack (1894-1972), a celebrated stage actress who performed in numerous productions in London's West End theaters during the early 20th century.
While the name Boleyjack may not be as widespread or well-known as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and deep roots in the northern counties of England, particularly Lancashire, where it originated and flourished over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boleyjack
Among Census respondents with the surname Boleyjack, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and White (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Boleyjack 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 Boleyjack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.4% · 99
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- White3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boleyjack
Boleyjack 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+10 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 698 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,805 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 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 698 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 4,805 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 Boleyjack 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 | #143,149 | #147,954 | -3.4% |
| Count | 116 | 112 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boleyjack bearers went from 116 to 112 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 4,805 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,954.
FAQ
Boleyjack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boleyjack?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Boleyjack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Boleyjack?
Boleyjack ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Boleyjack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Boleyjack.
Has Boleyjack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boleyjack went from 116 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Boleyjack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boleyjack, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and White (3.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Boleyjack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boleyjack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.4%), White (3.6%). 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 Boleyjack (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 Boleyjack mean?
A locational surname possibly derived from a place name in England. 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 Boleyjack (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 have the surname Boleyjack?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.