Boothe
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of boots or a nickname for someone who wore boots.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,043 Americans carry the last name Boothe. That puts it at #4,100 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,129 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boothe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
10K
1 in 34,129
Census rank
#4,100
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,656 bearers of the surname Boothe in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4100th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boothe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boothe
The surname Boothe has its origins in England and is an occupational name for someone who worked in a small hut or booth, such as a tradesman or merchant. It is derived from the Old English word "buth," meaning a temporary shelter or dwelling.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Boothe can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bude" in Yorkshire. This indicates that the name was in use by the late 11th century, likely among those involved in trade or markets.
During the medieval period, the name was commonly spelled as "Bothe" or "Bothey," reflecting the changing pronunciation over time. The modern spelling of "Boothe" became more standardized in the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Boothe, a 14th-century English soldier and landowner from Cheshire, born around 1330. He served as a knight under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War and was present at the famous Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another prominent figure was Humphrey Boothe, a 15th-century English merchant and philanthropist from Nottinghamshire, born around 1420. He made his fortune through trade and donated generously to various charitable causes, including the founding of a grammar school in his hometown.
In the 16th century, the name was associated with the Boothe family of Cheshire, who held significant landholdings and political influence in the region. Sir George Boothe, born around 1520, was a member of this family and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I.
The surname Boothe also had connections to the early settlement of America. One notable figure was Richard Boothe, born in England around 1610, who emigrated to Virginia in the 1630s and became a successful plantation owner and merchant.
In the 18th century, John Boothe, born in Yorkshire around 1720, was a prominent English architect and surveyor known for his work on various public buildings and estates in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Boothe, which has its roots in the occupational trades and commerce of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boothe
Among Census respondents with the surname Boothe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Boothe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Boothe surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.0%
- Black or African American16.7%
- Hispanic or Latino1.8%
- Two or more races1.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Boothe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,973 | #4,100 | -3.2% |
| Count | 8,215 | 8,656 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.05 | 2.93 | -3.9% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Boothe bearers went from 8,215 to 8,656 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,973 to #4,100.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Boothe
FAQ
Boothe surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Boothe?
The surname Boothe holds position #4,100 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 10,043 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Boothe surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boothe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.