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

Boling, 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 Boling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boling in America

Boling is the 4669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boling surname appeared 7,597 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Boling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boling 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 Boling

The surname Boling is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England in the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived in or near a hamlet called Bolling or Bolton. These place names are derived from the Old English words "bold" meaning "dwelling" and "ing" meaning "people of."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boling can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bolinc." This suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Bolling, Boulding, and Bowling, reflecting regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of early surname spellings.

During the 13th century, the surname Boling appeared in several historical records. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, the name was documented as "William de Bolynge" from Lincolnshire. Additionally, a Richard Bollyng was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1281.

Notable individuals with the surname Boling include Sir John Boling (c. 1435-1499), a prominent English knight who served as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire during the reign of Henry VII. Another figure of note is Robert Boling (1607-1660), an English clergyman and scholar who was appointed as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford in 1637.

In the 18th century, the name Boling gained recognition through the playwright and dramatist Richard Bolingbroke (1732-1786), whose works were performed at various London theatres. Meanwhile, in the realm of science, John Boling (1763-1826) made significant contributions as a British botanist and horticulturist, publishing several works on plant cultivation.

Moving into the 19th century, the name Boling became associated with the American frontier through the exploits of Reuben Boling (1783-1844), a pioneer and frontiersman who played a crucial role in the settlement of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Throughout its history, the surname Boling has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, spanning fields such as politics, religion, literature, and exploration. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diverse journeys and stories of those who bear it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boling

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

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

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

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