2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bouchier
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bouchier. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bouchier 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 Bouchier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bouchier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bouchier
The surname BOUCHIER has its origins in medieval France, specifically in the region of Normandy, where it first emerged in the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "bouchier," which means "butcher" or "meat seller." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals or families involved in the trade of butchery or meat production.
In the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, many Norman families, including those bearing the surname BOUCHIER, settled in various parts of the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Bucher" in the county of Lincolnshire.
The BOUCHIER surname can be found in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 13th century, a notable figure named Sir Robert Bouchier served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry III. He was born around 1200 and held significant political and ecclesiastical positions during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Henry Bouchier, who was born in 1404 and served as the Earl of Essex and Lord Treasurer of England during the reign of King Henry VI in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the BOUCHIER family established themselves in the county of Northamptonshire, where they held substantial landholdings. One member of this branch, John Bouchier, was born in 1535 and made significant contributions to the region's agricultural and economic development.
The surname BOUCHIER also has connections to various place names in England, such as Bouchier's Green in Hertfordshire and Bouchier's Farm in Buckinghamshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the BOUCHIER surname who once resided or held land there.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the BOUCHIER surname, including:
1. Thomas Bouchier (1329-1404), an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War.
2. Elizabeth Bouchier (1472-1537), an English noblewoman and a significant figure in the Tudor court.
3. John Bouchier (1588-1661), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Salisbury.
4. Henry Bouchier (1712-1784), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire.
5. William Bouchier (1785-1864), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
While the BOUCHIER surname has evolved and spread across various regions over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Norman nobility of medieval France, where it was initially associated with the occupation of butchery or meat production.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bouchier
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bouchier 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 Bouchier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bouchier
Bouchier 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-6 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,128 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 17,128 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Bouchier 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bouchier bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bouchier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bouchier?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bouchier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bouchier?
Bouchier ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Bouchier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bouchier.
Has Bouchier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bouchier went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bouchier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouchier, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Bouchier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bouchier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Bouchier (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 Bouchier mean?
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or meat seller. 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 Bouchier (0.04 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 common is the surname Bouchier?
You can see how many people have the last name Bouchier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.