2000
#8,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Bomar
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "tree" or "beam" and "lake" or "pond."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,709 Americans carry the last name Bomar. That puts it at #9,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bomar 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
3.7K
1 in 92,412
Census rank
#9,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,234 bearers of the surname Bomar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bomar, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bomar
The surname Bomar is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "bomer," which means "to thunder" or "to make a loud noise." This could potentially indicate that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone with a booming voice or a particularly loud demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bomar can be found in the Cahier des États de Normandie, a historical document from the 14th century that lists various landowners and noblemen in the region of Normandy. It is possible that the name's origins can be traced back to this area of northern France.
Throughout the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname have emerged, such as Bommard, Bomard, and Bomart, though Bomar remains the most commonly used form. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name Bomar was Jean Bomar, a French soldier and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was recorded as leading a contingent of archers and infantry at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Another historically significant individual with this surname was Pierre Bomar, a French merchant and explorer who traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean region in the late 16th century. His detailed accounts of his travels and encounters with various cultures were published in a book titled "Voyages et Découvertes" in 1598.
In the 17th century, a man named Étienne Bomar gained recognition as a skilled artisan and goldsmith in the city of Paris. His intricate metalwork and jewelry designs were highly sought after by the French nobility and can still be found in various museums and private collections.
During the 18th century, a French playwright and poet named Philippe Bomar gained some renown for his satirical works that often criticized the excesses of the aristocracy. His most famous play, "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," was performed in Parisian theaters in the 1750s.
Another notable figure was Marie-Antoinette Bomar, a French noblewoman and philanthropist who lived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She was known for her charitable efforts, particularly her support for orphanages and schools for underprivileged children in Paris.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bomar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bomar, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bomar 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 Bomar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 2,377
- Black or African American18.0% · 583
- Two or more races4.2% · 136
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bomar
Bomar 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
#9,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,487
+81 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 493 places
2020
#9,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,234
-253 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,845 | 3,406 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,338 | 3,487 | 1.18 | +81 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 493 places |
| 2020 | #9,606 | 3,234 | 1.08 | -253 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 268 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 Bomar 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 | #9,338 | #9,606 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,487 | 3,234 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.08 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bomar bearers went from 3,487 to 3,234 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,338 to #9,606.
FAQ
Bomar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bomar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,709 living Americans carry the surname Bomar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,412 residents.
How common is Bomar?
Bomar ranks #9,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,234 people with the surname Bomar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Bomar.
Has Bomar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bomar went from 3,487 recorded bearers to 3,234. That is a decrease of 253 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,338 to #9,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Bomar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bomar, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bomar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (2,377 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bomar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (18.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bomar (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 Bomar mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "tree" or "beam" and "lake" or "pond." 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 Bomar (1.08 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 are called Bomar?
Find out how many people have the surname Bomar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.