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

Bou, 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 Bou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bou in America

Bou is the 24186th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bou surname appeared 1,039 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bou 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 Bou

The surname "Bou" is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, during the Middle Ages. It is likely derived from the Old French word "bou," meaning "ox" or "cattle." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who worked with oxen or cattle, such as a farmer or a drover.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Bou" can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Robert Bou, who held lands in the county of Berkshire.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Raoul Bou was recorded as a member of the Knights Templar, a prestigious military order during the Crusades. Raoul Bou participated in several campaigns in the Holy Land and is believed to have perished in the Battle of Hattin in 1187.

During the 13th century, the name "Bou" was found in various records across Normandy and other parts of northern France. One example is Jean Bou, a merchant from the town of Rouen who was mentioned in trade documents from the year 1275.

In the 14th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Bouw," appeared in the Low Countries (present-day Belgium and Netherlands). A notable individual with this spelling was Pieter Bouw, a renowned artist and painter from the city of Bruges, who lived between 1330 and 1390.

Another notable figure with the surname "Bou" was Jacques Bou, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1440 to 1512. He taught at the University of Paris and was known for his writings on metaphysics and natural philosophy.

Over time, the name "Bou" spread to other regions of Europe, possibly through migration or trade. In the 16th century, a man named Juan Bou was recorded as one of the early Spanish settlers in the Americas, arriving in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (present-day Dominican Republic) in 1542.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bou

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

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

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

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