2000
#10,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Botkin
A Russian occupational surname derived from the word "botka," meaning "barrel" or "cask," likely referring to a cooper or barrel maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,899 Americans carry the last name Botkin. That puts it at #11,840 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Botkin 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.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,232
Census rank
#11,840
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,528 bearers of the surname Botkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11840th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Botkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Botkin
The surname Botkin has its origins in Russia, and it is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Russian word "botka," which means a small barrel or cask. It is possible that the surname was initially given to individuals who were involved in the production or transportation of barrels or casks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Botkin can be found in historical documents from the Russian Empire, dating back to the late 17th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Botkin residing in various regions of Russia, such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
In the 18th century, the Botkin family gained prominence in Russia, with several members occupying important positions in the Imperial Russian military and government. Notably, Mikhail Petrovitch Botkin (1719-1800) was a renowned military commander who served under Empress Catherine the Great and participated in the Russo-Turkish Wars.
Another notable figure with the surname Botkin was Sergey Petrovich Botkin (1832-1889), a renowned Russian physician and writer. He made significant contributions to the field of medicine and authored several books on various medical topics.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Botkin family continued to play a prominent role in Russian society. Yevgeny Sergeyevich Botkin (1865-1918) was a respected philosopher and literary critic who influenced the Russian intelligentsia of his time.
One of the most tragic events associated with the Botkin surname occurred in 1918, when Eugene (Yevgeny) Botkin, the personal physician to the imperial Romanov family, was executed along with Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their children during the Bolshevik Revolution.
While the surname Botkin originated in Russia, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and the diaspora of Russian families. However, its roots can be traced back to the historical regions of Russia, where it was initially associated with occupations related to barrel-making or transportation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Botkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Botkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Botkin 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 Botkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,300
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 103
- Two or more races2.8% · 72
- Black or African American0.8% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Botkin
Botkin 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
#11,952
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,616
-53 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 1,011 places
2020
#11,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,528
-88 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,941 | 2,669 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,952 | 2,616 | 0.89 | -53 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,011 places |
| 2020 | #11,840 | 2,528 | 0.85 | -88 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 112 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 Botkin 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 | #11,952 | #11,840 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,616 | 2,528 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.85 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Botkin bearers went from 2,616 to 2,528 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 112 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,952 to #11,840.
FAQ
Botkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Botkin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,899 living Americans carry the surname Botkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,232 residents.
How common is Botkin?
Botkin ranks #11,840 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,528 people with the surname Botkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,899), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Botkin.
Has Botkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Botkin went from 2,616 recorded bearers to 2,528. That is a decrease of 88 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,952 to #11,840.
What does the Census say about the background of Botkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Botkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Botkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Botkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Botkin (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 Botkin mean?
A Russian occupational surname derived from the word "botka," meaning "barrel" or "cask," likely referring to a cooper or barrel maker. 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 Botkin (0.85 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 many people are called Botkin?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Botkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.