2000
#13,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Boomer
An occupational surname referring to a person who operates a boom or sailyard on a ship.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,297 Americans carry the last name Boomer. That puts it at #14,366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,218 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boomer 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 Boomer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,218
Census rank
#14,366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,003 bearers of the surname Boomer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boomer
The surname "BOOMER" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bumer," which referred to a trumpeter or drummer. This occupation-based surname likely arose as a way to identify individuals by their trade or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BOOMER" can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed in the section pertaining to Lincolnshire, suggesting that the surname may have roots in that particular region.
By the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Bomer" and "Bumer," began appearing in various historical records and documents across different parts of England. This indicates that the surname had spread beyond its initial localized area and was becoming more widespread.
One notable early bearer of the surname was John Boomer, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Bristol during the late 14th century. Records show that he owned several properties and was involved in the thriving wool trade of the time.
In the 16th century, the surname "BOOMER" can be found in the parish records of several villages in Gloucestershire, suggesting a strong presence in that region. One individual of note was William Boomer, a farmer who lived in the village of Painswick during the mid-1500s.
Another notable figure was Sir Edward Boomer, a military commander who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was known for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.
During the 18th century, the surname "BOOMER" began to spread further across England and even into other parts of the British Isles. One noteworthy individual from this period was Samuel Boomer, a prominent lawyer and judge who served in the courts of London in the late 1700s.
As the British Empire expanded, the surname "BOOMER" also found its way to various colonies and settlements around the world. One example is John Boomer, a settler who arrived in Virginia, America, in the early 1700s and went on to establish a successful tobacco plantation.
Throughout its history, the surname "BOOMER" has been subject to various spelling variations, including "Boomer," "Bomer," "Bumer," and "Boomer." However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Old English word "bumer," reflecting its occupational beginnings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boomer
Among Census respondents with the surname Boomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Boomer 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 Boomer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.1% · 1,365
- Black or African American21.7% · 435
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 96
- Two or more races3.7% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boomer
Boomer 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
#12,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,368
+236 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 181 places
2020
#14,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,003
-365 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,398 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,149 | 2,132 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,968 | 2,368 | 0.80 | +236 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 181 places |
| 2020 | #14,366 | 2,003 | 0.67 | -365 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 1,398 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 Boomer 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 | #12,968 | #14,366 | -10.8% |
| Count | 2,368 | 2,003 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.67 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boomer bearers went from 2,368 to 2,003 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 1,398 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,968 to #14,366.
FAQ
Boomer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boomer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,297 living Americans carry the surname Boomer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,218 residents.
How common is Boomer?
Boomer ranks #14,366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,003 people with the surname Boomer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Boomer.
Has Boomer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boomer went from 2,368 recorded bearers to 2,003. That is a decrease of 365 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,968 to #14,366.
What does the Census say about the background of Boomer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boomer, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.7%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Boomer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.1% (1,365 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boomer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.1%), Black (21.7%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Boomer (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 Boomer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who operates a boom or sailyard on a ship. 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 Boomer (0.67 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 Boomer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.