2000
#2,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,870
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.77
Uncommon Last name
Bouchard
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "small wood" or "thicket."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,241 Americans carry the last name Bouchard. That puts it at #2,822 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,068 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bouchard 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 Bouchard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,068
Census rank
#2,822
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,419 bearers of the surname Bouchard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2822nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bouchard
The surname Bouchard originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bouchard," which means "herdsman" or "shepherd." The name likely referred to someone who tended livestock, particularly cattle or sheep.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northwestern France. In some historical records, the name is spelled slightly differently, such as "Bouchart" or "Boucharde."
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Bouchard was Geoffroy Bouchard, a Norman knight who fought in the First Crusade (1096-1099). He was awarded lands in the Principality of Antioch for his service.
Another notable figure was Jean Bouchard (c. 1300-1360), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris. He wrote several influential treatises on logic and metaphysics.
During the 15th century, the Bouchard family established themselves as prominent landowners in the region of Burgundy, France. Jacques Bouchard (1420-1491) was a wealthy merchant and vineyard owner who served as a councilor to the Duke of Burgundy.
In the 17th century, Nicolas Bouchard (1619-1687) was a French explorer and fur trader who established trading posts in what is now Canada. He played a significant role in the early colonial period of New France.
The surname Bouchard also has a long history in Quebec, Canada, where many French settlers bearing the name arrived in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances was Jacques Bouchard (1631-1703), who immigrated from France and established a farm in the region of Trois-Rivières.
Throughout the centuries, the Bouchard surname has been associated with various notable figures in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts. However, the name's origins can be traced back to the humble occupation of herdsmen and shepherds in medieval France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bouchard
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bouchard 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 Bouchard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 11,476
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 364
- Two or more races2.9% · 364
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 80
- Black or African American0.4% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bouchard
Bouchard 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
#2,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,154
+284 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 4.46
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#2,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,419
-735 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 4.15
Rank movement Down 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,586 | 12,870 | 4.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,739 | 13,154 | 4.46 | +284 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #2,822 | 12,419 | 4.15 | -735 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 83 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 Bouchard 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 | #2,739 | #2,822 | -3.0% |
| Count | 13,154 | 12,419 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.46 | 4.15 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bouchard bearers went from 13,154 to 12,419 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,739 to #2,822.
FAQ
Bouchard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bouchard?
Name Census estimates that about 14,241 living Americans carry the surname Bouchard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,068 residents.
How common is Bouchard?
Bouchard ranks #2,822 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,419 people with the surname Bouchard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,241), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bouchard.
Has Bouchard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bouchard went from 13,154 recorded bearers to 12,419. That is a decrease of 735 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,739 to #2,822.
What does the Census say about the background of Bouchard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bouchard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (11,476 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bouchard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bouchard (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 Bouchard mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "small wood" or "thicket." 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 Bouchard (4.15 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 share the surname Bouchard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.