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

Bolger, 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 Bolger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bolger in America

Bolger is the 9598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bolger surname appeared 3,385 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bolger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bolger 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 Bolger

The surname Bolger is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "bol" meaning a rounded hill or knoll, and "ger" meaning a spear. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period in various parts of England, particularly in Derbyshire, where it was first recorded as a locational surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolger can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Bolgera" in the county of Derbyshire. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a valuable record of landowners and their holdings in England at that time.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Bolger," "Bolgere," and "Bolgehire," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable early bearer of the name was Walter Bolger, a landowner in Derbyshire, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1207.

The Bolger surname was also associated with several place names in England, such as Bolger's Hill in Derbyshire and Bolger's Green in Staffordshire. These place names likely derive from individuals named Bolger who owned or resided in those areas.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Bolger. One of the earliest was Sir John Bolger (c. 1340-1410), a prominent English soldier and landowner who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his service to King Richard II.

Another notable Bolger was Richard Bolger (1585-1651), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers in London. He was involved in the early colonization efforts in America and was one of the original investors in the Massachusetts Bay Company.

In the 19th century, the Bolger surname gained prominence with the Irish-born politician and journalist, John Bolger (1824-1899), who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in Australia and was a prominent advocate for Irish nationalism.

The name Bolger also has literary connections, with the character Frodo Baggins' cousin Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger appearing in J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novels "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Fellowship of the Ring."

Another notable bearer of the Bolger surname was John Bolger (1917-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Bolger Vision Beyond Print Company, a leading producer of Braille books and materials for the visually impaired.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bolger

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

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

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

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