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

Boris, 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 Boris surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boris in America

Boris is the 11348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boris surname appeared 2,780 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Boris.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boris to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Boris

The surname BORIS has its origins in Russia, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 10th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Slavic word "boriti," which means "to fight" or "to struggle." This suggests that the name was likely given to warriors or those who were known for their bravery and strength in battle.

In ancient Russian manuscripts and records, the name often appeared in various spellings, such as "Borisov" or "Borissov," indicating its connection to a person or place. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Veliky Novgorod Chronicles, which document the history of the Novgorod Republic, an important medieval state in northwestern Russia.

The BORIS surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Boris Godunov (c. 1552-1605), who was the Tsar of Russia from 1598 until his death. He played a significant role in the Time of Troubles, a period of political and social upheaval in Russia.

Another notable figure was Boris Pasternak (1890-1960), a Russian poet and writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958 for his novel "Doctor Zhivago." His works were initially censored in the Soviet Union, but they eventually gained international acclaim.

In the field of science, Boris Rosing (1869-1933) was a Russian physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early television technology. He is credited with creating the first fully electronic television system in 1907.

The BORIS surname has also been linked to various place names in Russia, such as the city of Borisoglebsk and the village of Borisovka. These locations may have been named after individuals bearing the BORIS surname or may have contributed to the development of the name itself.

Another notable bearer of the BORIS surname was Boris Spassky (1937-), a Russian chess grandmaster who was the World Chess Champion from 1969 to 1972. He is best known for his legendary match against Bobby Fischer in 1972, which was dubbed the "Match of the Century."

While the BORIS surname has its roots in Russia, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its historical significance and connection to notable figures in Russian history remain an integral part of its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boris

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

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 Boris 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Boris has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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