2000
#6,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,451
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Botts
Derived from the Middle English word "bote," referring to a person who lived near or worked with boots.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,838 Americans carry the last name Botts. That puts it at #7,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Botts 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 Botts with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 70,846
Census rank
#7,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,219 bearers of the surname Botts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Botts, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Botts
The surname Botts is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Bott or Botts, though the precise location of this settlement has been lost to history. Some suggest it may have been a reference to a small hamlet or farmstead located near a boggy or marshy area, as the name is thought to be related to the Old English word "bot," meaning a dwelling or humble abode.
One of the earliest documented references to the Botts surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, compiled in 1273, which mentions a William de Bottis. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English government at the time, listing landowners and their holdings. This suggests that the Botts family had already established itself as landowners in the county of Bedfordshire by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Botts name appears in various legal and ecclesiastical records. For instance, a John Botts is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1334, and a Robert Botts is recorded as a landowner in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1349. These entries indicate that the family had spread across several counties in England by this time.
One notable figure bearing the Botts surname was Sir William Botts (1425-1491), a prominent English landowner and military commander during the Wars of the Roses. He fought on the Yorkist side and was knighted for his service to Edward IV after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. Sir William Botts was also a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1472.
Another historical figure of note was John Botts (1592-1649), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Giles-without-Cripplegate in London. He published several theological works, including "The Workes of Mr. John Botts Minister of the Word" in 1634, which was a collection of his sermons and writings.
In the 17th century, the Botts surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, as evidenced by parish records and wills from that period. One prominent individual was Richard Botts (1610-1678), a wealthy landowner and justice of the peace in Warwickshire, who served as the High Sheriff of the county in 1664.
As time progressed, the Botts name continued to be found throughout various parts of England, with families settling in different regions. By the 19th century, there were numerous variations in spelling, including Bott, Bots, Botts, and Bottes, though Botts remained the most common form.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Botts
Among Census respondents with the surname Botts, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Botts 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 Botts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 3,457
- Black or African American8.0% · 337
- Two or more races4.5% · 191
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 128
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Botts
Botts 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
#7,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,582
+131 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 328 places
2020
#7,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,219
-363 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 313 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,946 | 4,451 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,274 | 4,582 | 1.55 | +131 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 328 places |
| 2020 | #7,587 | 4,219 | 1.41 | -363 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 313 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 Botts 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 | #7,274 | #7,587 | -4.3% |
| Count | 4,582 | 4,219 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.41 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Botts bearers went from 4,582 to 4,219 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 313 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,274 to #7,587.
FAQ
Botts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Botts?
Name Census estimates that about 4,838 living Americans carry the surname Botts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,846 residents.
How common is Botts?
Botts ranks #7,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 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 4,219 people with the surname Botts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 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 Botts.
Has Botts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Botts went from 4,582 recorded bearers to 4,219. That is a decrease of 363 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,274 to #7,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Botts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Botts, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Botts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (3,457 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Botts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Botts (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 Botts mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "bote," referring to a person who lived near or worked with boots. 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 Botts (1.41 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 Americans have the surname Botts?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.