2000
#5,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Bott
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of boots and shoes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,638 Americans carry the last name Bott. That puts it at #5,767 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,635 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bott 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 Bott with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,635
Census rank
#5,767
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,789 bearers of the surname Bott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5767th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bott, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bott
The surname BOTT is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bot," which referred to a dwelling or abode. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived in a particular type of dwelling or settlement.
The earliest known records of the surname BOTT date back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Richard Bott is mentioned. Additionally, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, suggesting that the name was present in different regions of England during this time period.
In the 14th century, the surname BOTT was also found in various areas of Cheshire, as evidenced by the Cheshire Chamberlain Accounts from 1359-1360, where individuals with the name Bott are listed. This further reinforces the widespread presence of the name in different parts of England during the Middle Ages.
One notable individual with the surname BOTT was Sir Robert Bott, who lived in the 15th century and was a member of the gentry in Staffordshire. He is mentioned in historical records from the late 1400s and is believed to have been a landowner and influential figure in the region.
Another prominent figure was John Bott, born in 1550 in Worcestershire. He was a renowned theologian and scholar who authored several works on religious subjects during the Elizabethan era. His writings and contributions to theological discourse made him a respected figure in his time.
In the 17th century, the name BOTT appears in various parish records across England, such as the Parish Registers of Shropshire from the 1600s, where individuals with this surname are listed as being born, married, or buried in various villages and towns.
Moving into the 18th century, one notable individual was William Bott, born in 1718 in Staffordshire. He was a successful entrepreneur and businessman who established a thriving trade in textiles and fabrics, contributing to the growth of the local economy.
During the 19th century, the name BOTT continued to be present in various parts of England, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various professions and walks of life. One such individual was James Bott, born in 1842 in Lancashire, who became a prominent engineer and inventor, holding several patents for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of engineering.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bott
Among Census respondents with the surname Bott, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bott 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 Bott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 5,324
- Two or more races3.5% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 59
- Black or African American0.5% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bott
Bott 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
#5,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,029
+106 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Down 335 places
2020
#5,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,789
-240 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,413 | 5,923 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,748 | 6,029 | 2.04 | +106 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 335 places |
| 2020 | #5,767 | 5,789 | 1.94 | -240 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 19 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 Bott 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 | #5,748 | #5,767 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,029 | 5,789 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.04 | 1.94 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bott bearers went from 6,029 to 5,789 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,748 to #5,767.
FAQ
Bott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bott?
Name Census estimates that about 6,638 living Americans carry the surname Bott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,635 residents.
How common is Bott?
Bott ranks #5,767 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,789 people with the surname Bott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,638), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bott.
Has Bott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bott went from 6,029 recorded bearers to 5,789. That is a decrease of 240 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,748 to #5,767.
What does the Census say about the background of Bott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bott, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (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 Bott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (5,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (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 Bott (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 Bott mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or repairer of boots and shoes. 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 Bott (1.94 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 have the last name Bott?
You can see how many people are called Bott on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.