2000
#14,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,913
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Bones
An English surname referring to a person who was thin or had prominent bones, or a bone setter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,636 Americans carry the last name Bones. That puts it at #12,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bones 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 Bones with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,028
Census rank
#12,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,299 bearers of the surname Bones in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bones, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.7%) and Black (19.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bones
The surname "BONES" has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ban," meaning "bone" or "remains." This name was likely given as a nickname to someone who was particularly thin or bony in appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named William Bones is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records kept by the English government during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as "Banes" and "Baynes," reflecting the variations in spelling common in that era. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327 list a John Banes, while the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1381 mention a Thomas Baynes.
The name Bones is also associated with several place names in England, such as Bones Green in Essex and Bones Farm in Suffolk. These places likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Bones who lived or owned land there.
One notable figure in history with the surname Bones was John Bones, a 15th-century English theologian and philosopher who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1457 to 1474.
Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Bones (1508-1571), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I. He served as the English ambassador to the Netherlands and played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559.
In the 17th century, the Bones surname is mentioned in the parish records of several English counties, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this period was Richard Bones (1619-1695), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various documents, including the Hearth Tax Records of Oxfordshire from 1665, which list several individuals with the surname Bones. One notable figure from this era was Robert Bones (1745-1823), an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on topographical prints and maps.
Lastly, in the 19th century, the Bones surname continued to be present in various records, such as the Census of England and Wales from 1841, which lists several families bearing this name. One notable figure from this period was Mary Bones (1832-1910), an English philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve the living conditions of the poor in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bones
Among Census respondents with the surname Bones, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.7%) and Black (19.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bones 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 Bones surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.4% · 1,067
- Hispanic or Latino26.7% · 613
- Black or African American19.6% · 451
- Two or more races2.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bones
Bones 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
#13,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,197
+284 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 582 places
2020
#12,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,299
+102 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 980 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,353 | 1,913 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,771 | 2,197 | 0.74 | +284 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 582 places |
| 2020 | #12,791 | 2,299 | 0.77 | +102 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 980 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 Bones 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 | #13,771 | #12,791 | 7.1% |
| Count | 2,197 | 2,299 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.77 | 3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bones bearers went from 2,197 to 2,299 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 980 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,771 to #12,791.
FAQ
Bones surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bones?
Name Census estimates that about 2,636 living Americans carry the surname Bones. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,028 residents.
How common is Bones?
Bones ranks #12,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,299 people with the surname Bones. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Bones.
Has Bones become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bones went from 2,197 recorded bearers to 2,299. That is an increase of 102 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,771 to #12,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Bones?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bones, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.7%) and Black (19.6%). 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 Bones in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.4% (1,067 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bones appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.4%), Hispanic (26.7%), Black (19.6%). 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 Bones (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 Bones mean?
An English surname referring to a person who was thin or had prominent bones, or a bone setter. 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 Bones (0.77 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 have the last name Bones?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Bones is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.