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

Boney, 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 Boney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boney in America

Boney is the 8673rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boney surname appeared 3,789 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Boney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boney 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 Boney

The surname BONEY originates from the French language, specifically from the region of Normandy in northern France. It emerged in the 11th century during the Norman conquest of England.

The name BONEY is derived from the Old French word "bon" or "bonne," meaning "good" or "pleasant." It likely referred to someone with a pleasant or agreeable demeanor or personality. Alternatively, it could have been used as a descriptive name for someone who was considered attractive or good-looking.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BONEY surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Bonni" and "Boni" in various entries.

During the Middle Ages, the BONEY surname was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Gloucestershire. Variations in spelling included Bonny, Bony, and Bonye.

Notable individuals with the BONEY surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Boney (c. 1350-1418), an English soldier and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.
2. Thomas Boney (c. 1490-1558), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
3. Elizabeth Boney (c. 1615-1672), an English Puritan and one of the accused during the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.
4. Nathaniel Boney (1683-1761), an English-born American farmer and landowner in colonial Virginia.
5. Mary Boney (1779-1855), a British philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for the education of women and the abolition of slavery.

The BONEY surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Boney Hay in Shropshire and Boney Moor in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the BONEY surname who resided or owned land in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boney

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

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

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

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