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

Booqua, 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 Booqua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Booqua in America

Booqua is the 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Booqua surname appeared 116 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Booqua.

The history of the last name Booqua

The surname "BOOQUA" is believed to have originated in the coastal region of West Africa, specifically in what is now known as Ghana and Ivory Coast. It is thought to have emerged sometime in the 16th or 17th century during the height of the transatlantic slave trade.

The name itself is derived from the Akan language, which is spoken by various ethnic groups in Ghana and Ivory Coast. It is believed to be a combination of the words "boo" meaning "help" or "assistance" and "qua" meaning "path" or "way". Thus, the name "BOOQUA" could be interpreted as meaning "one who helps or assists on the path".

While there are no definitive historical records of the name's earliest usage, it is speculated that it may have been adopted by some of the first Africans who were forcibly brought to the Americas during the slave trade. As they were stripped of their original names and identities, some may have taken on new surnames such as "BOOQUA" as a way to maintain a connection to their African roots.

The earliest recorded mention of the name "BOOQUA" can be found in colonial records from the British West Indies, specifically on the island of Barbados, where it appears in a census from the late 17th century. It is also documented in plantation records from the same period in the nearby island of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

One notable individual who bore the surname "BOOQUA" was Kwaku Booqua, a prominent figure in the Jamaican Maroon community in the late 18th century. He was a leader of the Maroons, a group of formerly enslaved Africans who had escaped and established their own settlements in the mountainous regions of Jamaica. Kwaku Booqua played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with the British colonial authorities, ensuring the autonomy and freedom of the Maroon communities.

Another individual of note was Ama Booqua, a midwife and healer who lived in the early 19th century in the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands). She was renowned for her knowledge of traditional African medicine and her expertise in assisting with childbirth. Ama Booqua's legacy lived on through her teachings, which were passed down to subsequent generations of midwives in the Caribbean.

In the 19th century, a man named Kofi Booqua was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement in the United States. Born into slavery in Georgia, he eventually gained his freedom and became an outspoken advocate for the abolition of slavery, traveling and giving speeches throughout the northern states to raise awareness of the plight of enslaved Africans.

It is also worth mentioning Akua Booqua, a renowned storyteller and oral historian who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the British colony of Sierra Leone. She was celebrated for her ability to preserve and pass down the rich cultural traditions and folktales of the Krio people through her captivating storytelling.

Finally, in the 20th century, there was Kwame Booqua, a respected educator and community leader in the Caribbean nation of Guyana. Born in 1920, he dedicated his life to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged children and promoting the preservation of African cultural heritage in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Booqua

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

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 Booqua 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.

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

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

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