2000
#3,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,753
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.99
Uncommon Last name
Bone
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made bones for various uses or gathered bones.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,646 Americans carry the last name Bone. That puts it at #3,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,431 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bone 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 Bone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,431
Census rank
#3,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,156 bearers of the surname Bone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bone, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bone
The surname Bone is of English origin and derives from the Old English word "ban", meaning bone. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, likely referring to a bone-worker or someone involved in the processing or trade of bones.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bone can be traced back to the late 12th century in various English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain references to individuals bearing the name, such as Walter le Bone in Derbyshire and Thomas Bone in Oxfordshire.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Bone was John Bone, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. Another early record is that of William Bone, whose name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.
The Bone surname is also found in early Scottish records, suggesting that it may have migrated from England to Scotland at some point. One of the earliest known Scottish bearers of the name was John Bone, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1455.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Bone. One of the most prominent was Henry Bone (1755-1834), an English enamel painter and enameller who was appointed Enamel Painter to King George III in 1811. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Bone (1842-1922), a British civil engineer and contractor who was involved in the construction of several major railway projects in India.
Other historical figures with the surname Bone include Robert Bone (1570-1637), an English clergyman and author, and David William Bone (1807-1892), a Scottish marine painter known for his seascapes. Additionally, Musgrave Bone (1876-1936) was a British architect and designer who played a significant role in the Arts and Crafts movement.
While the surname Bone may have originated as an occupational name, it has since become a well-established surname found in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language, reflecting the rich history and diversity of English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bone
Among Census respondents with the surname Bone, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bone 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 Bone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 8,182
- Black or African American8.4% · 852
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 556
- Two or more races3.9% · 393
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 115
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bone
Bone 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
#3,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,692
-61 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 262 places
2020
#3,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,156
-536 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 3.40
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,088 | 10,753 | 3.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,350 | 10,692 | 3.62 | -61 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 262 places |
| 2020 | #3,439 | 10,156 | 3.40 | -536 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 89 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 Bone 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 | #3,350 | #3,439 | -2.7% |
| Count | 10,692 | 10,156 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.62 | 3.40 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bone bearers went from 10,692 to 10,156 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,350 to #3,439.
FAQ
Bone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bone?
Name Census estimates that about 11,646 living Americans carry the surname Bone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,431 residents.
How common is Bone?
Bone ranks #3,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,156 people with the surname Bone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,646), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bone.
Has Bone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bone went from 10,692 recorded bearers to 10,156. That is a decrease of 536 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,350 to #3,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Bone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bone, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Bone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (8,182 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (8.4%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Bone (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 Bone mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made bones for various uses or gathered bones. 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 Bone (3.40 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 Americans have the surname Bone?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.