2000
#9,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,309
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Bolger
An Irish occupational surname derived from the Old English word "bolgere," meaning "bulge" or "belly," likely referring to a rotund person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,594 Americans carry the last name Bolger. That puts it at #9,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,368 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolger 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 Bolger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,368
Census rank
#9,847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,134 bearers of the surname Bolger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolger
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolger 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 Bolger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 2,755
- Black or African American4.7% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 128
- Two or more races2.6% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolger
Bolger 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
#9,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,385
+76 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 519 places
2020
#9,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,134
-251 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,079 | 3,309 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,598 | 3,385 | 1.15 | +76 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 519 places |
| 2020 | #9,847 | 3,134 | 1.05 | -251 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 249 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 Bolger 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 | #9,598 | #9,847 | -2.6% |
| Count | 3,385 | 3,134 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.05 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolger bearers went from 3,385 to 3,134 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 249 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,598 to #9,847.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bolger
FAQ
Bolger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolger?
Name Census estimates that about 3,594 living Americans carry the surname Bolger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,368 residents.
How common is Bolger?
Bolger ranks #9,847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,134 people with the surname Bolger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bolger.
Has Bolger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolger went from 3,385 recorded bearers to 3,134. That is a decrease of 251 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,598 to #9,847.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Bolger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (2,755 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Bolger (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 Bolger mean?
An Irish occupational surname derived from the Old English word "bolgere," meaning "bulge" or "belly," likely referring to a rotund person. 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 Bolger (1.05 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 Bolger?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Bolger? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.