2000
#12,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,316
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Bothwell
A locational surname referring to various places in Scotland, likely derived from Gaelic meaning "dwelling place by the stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,612 Americans carry the last name Bothwell. That puts it at #12,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bothwell 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 Bothwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,223
Census rank
#12,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,278 bearers of the surname Bothwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bothwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bothwell
The surname Bothwell originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the place name Bothwell, which is a town situated in South Lanarkshire, near the city of Glasgow. The name Bothwell itself is believed to come from the Gaelic words "both" meaning "a dwelling" and "well" referring to a spring or stream, suggesting that the name refers to a settlement built near a well or water source.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bothwell surname appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of historical documents containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The Ragman Rolls mention a "Walter de Bothwell" from the town of Bothwell.
The Bothwell family was influential in Scotland during the medieval period. One notable member was James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (1536-1578), who was a Scottish nobleman and the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. Bothwell played a significant role in the turbulent events surrounding Mary's reign, including her forced abdication and imprisonment.
Another prominent figure with the Bothwell surname was Adam Bothwell (1527-1593), who was a Scottish reformer and Protestant theologian. He was a prominent figure during the Scottish Reformation and served as the minister of the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.
In the 16th century, the Bothwell family had strong ties to the town of Bothwell, and their name was associated with the Bothwell Castle, a medieval fortress located near the town. The castle played a role in several significant historical events, including the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Jacobite Risings.
Other notable individuals with the Bothwell surname include:
1. Francis Bothwell (1599-1654), a Scottish minister and Principal of the University of Edinburgh.
2. John Bothwell (1585-1637), a Scottish theologian and writer who served as the minister of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh.
3. William Bothwell (1654-1707), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
4. Thomas Bothwell (1744-1823), a Scottish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
5. James Bothwell (1822-1886), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry and founded the town of Bothwell, Ontario, in Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bothwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Bothwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bothwell 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 Bothwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 1,831
- Black or African American10.8% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 111
- Two or more races2.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bothwell
Bothwell 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
#13,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,288
-28 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,019 places
2020
#12,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,278
-10 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 431 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,311 | 2,316 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,330 | 2,288 | 0.78 | -28 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 1,019 places |
| 2020 | #12,899 | 2,278 | 0.76 | -10 bearers (-0.4%) | Up 431 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 Bothwell 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 | #13,330 | #12,899 | 3.2% |
| Count | 2,288 | 2,278 | -0.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.76 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bothwell bearers went from 2,288 to 2,278 (-0.4% change). The surname moved up 431 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,330 to #12,899.
FAQ
Bothwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bothwell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,612 living Americans carry the surname Bothwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,223 residents.
How common is Bothwell?
Bothwell ranks #12,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,278 people with the surname Bothwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,612), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Bothwell.
Has Bothwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bothwell went from 2,288 recorded bearers to 2,278. That is a decrease of 10 (-0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,330 to #12,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Bothwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bothwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bothwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (1,831 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bothwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Black (10.8%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bothwell (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 Bothwell mean?
A locational surname referring to various places in Scotland, likely derived from Gaelic meaning "dwelling place by the stream." 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 Bothwell (0.76 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 Bothwell?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bothwell? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.