2000
#8,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,380
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Bolick
A Slavic nickname derived from the word "bol" meaning "ache" or "pain," likely referring to a sickly individual.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,121 Americans carry the last name Bolick. That puts it at #11,124 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolick 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
3.1K
1 in 109,822
Census rank
#11,124
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,722 bearers of the surname Bolick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11124th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolick
The surname Bolick has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "bole" or "bolle," meaning "round" or "spherical," and may have initially referred to a person with a round or plump physique.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolick can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. In this document, a certain "Henricus Bolick" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.
The Bolick name also appears in several other historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, including the Liber Censuum, a medieval tax register from the Holy Roman Empire, where a "Johannes Bolick" is listed as a taxpayer in the city of Nuremberg.
As the name spread across Central and Eastern Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Bollich, Bollick, and Bollich. In some regions, the name was also associated with specific places, such as the town of Bolligen in Switzerland, leading to the variant Bolliger.
One notable figure bearing the Bolick surname was Johann Bolick (1587-1648), a German theologian and professor at the University of Jena, who was known for his writings on Protestant theology and his involvement in the religious debates of the Reformation.
Another historical figure was Hans Bolick (1610-1683), a German merchant and explorer who traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East, documenting his travels in a series of journals that provide valuable insights into the trade routes and cultures of the time.
In the 18th century, the Bolick name gained prominence in the United States, with several individuals bearing this surname playing important roles in the American Revolution. One such figure was Michael Bolick (1745-1825), a soldier and militia captain who fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House and later served as a member of the North Carolina legislature.
Another notable American Bolick was Elizabeth Bolick (1770-1845), a pioneer and settler in the Appalachian Mountains, who is credited with establishing one of the first permanent settlements in what is now western North Carolina.
As the Bolick name continued to spread and evolve, it has been associated with various professions and achievements throughout history, from scholars and theologians to merchants, explorers, and military leaders, leaving a lasting legacy across multiple continents and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolick
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolick 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 Bolick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 2,561
- Two or more races2.4% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- Black or African American0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolick
Bolick 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
#8,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,645
+265 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 74 places
2020
#11,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,722
-923 bearers (-25.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 2,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,903 | 3,380 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,977 | 3,645 | 1.24 | +265 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 74 places |
| 2020 | #11,124 | 2,722 | 0.91 | -923 bearers (-25.3%) | Down 2,147 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 Bolick 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 | #8,977 | #11,124 | -23.9% |
| Count | 3,645 | 2,722 | -25.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 0.91 | -26.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolick bearers went from 3,645 to 2,722 (-25.3% change). The surname moved down 2,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,977 to #11,124.
FAQ
Bolick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolick?
Name Census estimates that about 3,121 living Americans carry the surname Bolick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,822 residents.
How common is Bolick?
Bolick ranks #11,124 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,722 people with the surname Bolick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Bolick.
Has Bolick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolick went from 3,645 recorded bearers to 2,722. That is a decrease of 923 (-25.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,977 to #11,124.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolick, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Bolick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (2,561 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Bolick (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 Bolick mean?
A Slavic nickname derived from the word "bol" meaning "ache" or "pain," likely referring to a sickly individual. 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 Bolick (0.91 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 share the surname Bolick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.