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

Boughton, 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 Boughton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boughton in America

Boughton is the 9978th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boughton surname appeared 3,233 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Boughton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boughton 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 Boughton

The surname Boughton originates from England, where it first emerged as a habitational name in the medieval period. Derived from the Old English words "burg" meaning a fortified town or manor, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, the name refers to someone who hailed from one of the numerous places named Boughton across England.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions individuals bearing the name Boughton in various counties such as Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, and Kent. The name's prevalence in these areas suggests that it may have originated from settlements with the same name, such as Boughton in Northamptonshire or Boughton Malherbe in Kent.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Boughton. Similarly, the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1292 mentions a John de Boughton, indicating the widespread distribution of the name across England during this period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals to bear the name was Sir John de Boughton (c. 1300-1365), a prominent English knight and landowner from Boughton in Northamptonshire. He served as the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire and Rutland in 1349 and held significant estates in the region.

Another notable figure was Sir William Boughton (c. 1411-1483), a member of the English gentry from Boughton Malherbe in Kent. He served as the High Sheriff of Kent in 1455 and played a role in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the Yorkist cause.

In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Boughton (c. 1480-1540) was a prominent English politician and landowner from Boughton Malherbe. He served as the High Sheriff of Kent in 1515 and was a member of Parliament for the constituency of Kent in 1529.

The name Boughton also has a connection to literary figures, such as the poet and courtier Sir John Boughton (c. 1555-1624), who was born in Boughton Malherbe and served as a member of Parliament for the constituency of Kent in 1597 and 1601.

Another notable individual was Edward Boughton (1590-1668), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Surrey from 1635 until his death. He wrote several religious works, including "A Prospective Glass for Christians" and "A Summe of the Christian Religion."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boughton

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

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

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

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