2000
#10,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Boman
An English surname derived from the Old English words "boga" and "mann," meaning "bow man" or "archer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,049 Americans carry the last name Boman. That puts it at #11,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boman 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 Boman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,415
Census rank
#11,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,659 bearers of the surname Boman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boman
The surname BOMAN is believed to have originated in Sweden, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish word "boman," which referred to a person who resided near or managed a large farm or estate.
In medieval Sweden, the term "boman" held significance, indicating an individual's occupation or association with a particular landholding. As surnames became more prevalent, those who worked on or oversaw these larger farmsteads adopted "Boman" as their family name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOMAN can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 16th century. It is believed that a man named Olof Boman, born around 1550, was among the first to bear this surname in its current spelling.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the BOMAN name appeared in various historical documents and records across Sweden. Notably, a prominent figure named Erik Boman (1620-1688) was a respected merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic and political affairs of the city of Gothenburg.
As Sweden expanded its influence and territories, the BOMAN name spread to other parts of Scandinavia and beyond. In the late 18th century, a Norwegian explorer and cartographer, Hans Boman (1749-1827), gained recognition for his detailed maps of the Arctic regions.
Another notable individual with the BOMAN surname was Johan Boman (1782-1857), a Swedish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Scandinavia and beyond.
In the 19th century, the BOMAN name found its way to the United States, as Swedish immigrants sought new opportunities in America. One such individual was Carl Boman (1845-1923), a successful businessman and philanthropist who established himself in the state of Minnesota.
Throughout history, the BOMAN surname has been associated with various professions, from farming and landholding to commerce, exploration, and scientific pursuits. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Sweden, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and accomplishments.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boman
Among Census respondents with the surname Boman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Boman 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 Boman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 2,254
- Black or African American5.0% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 119
- Two or more races4.0% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boman
Boman 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
#11,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,825
-24 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 836 places
2020
#11,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,659
-166 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,357 | 2,849 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,193 | 2,825 | 0.96 | -24 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 836 places |
| 2020 | #11,341 | 2,659 | 0.89 | -166 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 148 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 Boman 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 | #11,193 | #11,341 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,825 | 2,659 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.89 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boman bearers went from 2,825 to 2,659 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 148 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,193 to #11,341.
FAQ
Boman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,049 living Americans carry the surname Boman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,415 residents.
How common is Boman?
Boman ranks #11,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,659 people with the surname Boman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,049), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Boman.
Has Boman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boman went from 2,825 recorded bearers to 2,659. That is a decrease of 166 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,193 to #11,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Boman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Boman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (2,254 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (5.0%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Boman (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 Boman mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English words "boga" and "mann," meaning "bow man" or "archer." 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 Boman (0.89 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 common is the surname Boman?
Want to know how many people have the last name Boman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.