2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bonogofsky
A surname possibly derived from a Polish or Slavic place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Bonogofsky. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bonogofsky 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Bonogofsky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonogofsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bonogofsky
The surname Bonogofsky is of Russian origin, with its roots dating back to the early 19th century. It is believed to have originated from the small village of Bonogovskoye, located in the Volgograd region of southwestern Russia. The name likely stems from the Slavic word "bonogov," which roughly translates to "prosperous homestead."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bonogofsky name can be found in the 1837 imperial census of the Russian Empire, where a family with this surname is listed as residing in the village of Bonogovskoye. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the latter half of the 19th century, many Russian families with the Bonogofsky surname began migrating to other parts of the Russian Empire, as well as to neighboring countries. This was likely due to economic and political factors, as well as the expansion of the Russian Empire's borders.
In the early 20th century, a notable figure named Mikhail Bonogofsky (1887-1961) gained prominence as a prominent journalist and political activist in St. Petersburg. He was known for his fierce opposition to the Bolshevik regime and his advocacy for democratic reforms.
Another individual of note was Ekaterina Bonogofsky (1902-1985), a celebrated Russian ballerina who performed with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow during the 1920s and 1930s. She was renowned for her exceptional grace and technique, particularly in her portrayal of Swan Lake's Odette.
In the mid-20th century, a scholar named Andrei Bonogofsky (1921-2003) made significant contributions to the field of linguistics, specializing in the study of Slavic languages. He taught at the University of Moscow for over four decades and authored several highly regarded books on the subject.
During the late 20th century, the Bonogofsky name gained recognition in the world of sports, with the emergence of Ivan Bonogofsky (1962-present), a renowned Russian ice hockey player. He played for the Soviet national team and later pursued a successful coaching career after his retirement from professional hockey.
In more recent times, Elena Bonogofsky (1978-present) has garnered international acclaim as a virtuoso pianist and composer. Her innovative compositions, which blend classical techniques with contemporary elements, have been performed by orchestras around the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bonogofsky
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonogofsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bonogofsky 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 Bonogofsky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bonogofsky
Bonogofsky 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 711 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-11 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 711 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 10,231 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 Bonogofsky 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 | #142,108 | #152,339 | -7.2% |
| Count | 117 | 106 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bonogofsky bearers went from 117 to 106 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 10,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #152,339.
FAQ
Bonogofsky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bonogofsky?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Bonogofsky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Bonogofsky?
Bonogofsky ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Bonogofsky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bonogofsky.
Has Bonogofsky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bonogofsky went from 117 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Bonogofsky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bonogofsky, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Bonogofsky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bonogofsky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Two or More Races (1.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Bonogofsky (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 Bonogofsky mean?
A surname possibly derived from a Polish or Slavic place name. 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 Bonogofsky (0.04 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 Bonogofsky?
See how many Americans have the surname Bonogofsky on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.