2000
#587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,679
First available Census row
Per 100,000 19.16
Uncommon Last name
Boone
A French surname derived from the Old French word "bon," meaning "good," referring to a person with an upstanding character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 58,911 Americans carry the last name Boone. That puts it at #644 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,818 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boone 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 Boone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
59K
1 in 5,818
Census rank
#644
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
51K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 51,373 bearers of the surname Boone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 644th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boone, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boone
The surname Boone has its origins in France and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bon", meaning "good" or "excellent". The name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who was perceived as virtuous or skilled.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boone can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Bono" and is listed among landowners in various counties.
During the Middle Ages, the name Boone was found in various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Some early spellings of the name included "Boun", "Boun", and "Boune".
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Etienne Boone was a prominent landowner and knight in the region of Normandy, France. He is mentioned in several historical records and chronicles from that era.
As the name spread across Europe, it took on different spellings and variations. In England, the name appeared as "Boon" and "Boone", while in Germany, it was written as "Bohn" or "Bohne".
One of the most famous bearers of the surname Boone was Daniel Boone (1734-1820), an American pioneer and explorer known for his explorations of the American frontier. He played a significant role in the early settlement of Kentucky and has become a legendary figure in American history.
Another notable individual was Thomas Boone (1590-1670), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1654 and was instrumental in establishing trade relations with the American colonies.
In the field of literature, John Boone (1796-1865) was an American writer and editor who published several works on history and theology, including a biography of Daniel Boone.
In the world of art, Benjamin Boone (1808-1883) was a British painter and engraver known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in England.
The surname Boone has also been associated with notable figures in science and education, such as William Boone Trail (1844-1927), an American educator and founder of what is now known as the University of Denver.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boone
Among Census respondents with the surname Boone, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Boone 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 Boone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.2% · 30,914
- Black or African American29.9% · 15,363
- Two or more races4.4% · 2,255
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,747
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 727
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 367
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boone
Boone 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
#632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,792
+2,113 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 18.24
Rank movement Down 45 places
2020
#644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,373
-2,419 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 17.19
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #587 | 51,679 | 19.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #632 | 53,792 | 18.24 | +2,113 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 45 places |
| 2020 | #644 | 51,373 | 17.19 | -2,419 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 12 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 Boone 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 | #632 | #644 | -1.9% |
| Count | 53,792 | 51,373 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 18.24 | 17.19 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boone bearers went from 53,792 to 51,373 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #632 to #644.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Boone
FAQ
Boone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boone?
Name Census estimates that about 58,911 living Americans carry the surname Boone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,818 residents.
How common is Boone?
Boone ranks #644 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 51,373 people with the surname Boone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (58,911), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Boone.
Has Boone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boone went from 53,792 recorded bearers to 51,373. That is a decrease of 2,419 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #632 to #644.
What does the Census say about the background of Boone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boone, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Boone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (30,914 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.2%), Black (29.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Boone (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 Boone mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "bon," meaning "good," referring to a person with an upstanding character. 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 Boone (17.19 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 Boone?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Boone on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.