2000
#9,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Boughton
A habitational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a settlement near a bow-shaped hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,517 Americans carry the last name Boughton. That puts it at #10,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boughton 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 Boughton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,456
Census rank
#10,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,067 bearers of the surname Boughton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard de Boughton.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."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boughton
Among Census respondents with the surname Boughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Boughton 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 Boughton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 2,606
- Black or African American8.0% · 245
- Two or more races3.7% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boughton
Boughton 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
#9,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,233
+62 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 568 places
2020
#10,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,067
-166 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,410 | 3,171 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,978 | 3,233 | 1.10 | +62 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 568 places |
| 2020 | #10,028 | 3,067 | 1.03 | -166 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 50 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 Boughton 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 | #9,978 | #10,028 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,233 | 3,067 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.03 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boughton bearers went from 3,233 to 3,067 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,978 to #10,028.
FAQ
Boughton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boughton?
Name Census estimates that about 3,517 living Americans carry the surname Boughton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,456 residents.
How common is Boughton?
Boughton ranks #10,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,067 people with the surname Boughton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,517), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Boughton.
Has Boughton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boughton went from 3,233 recorded bearers to 3,067. That is a decrease of 166 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,978 to #10,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Boughton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Boughton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (2,606 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boughton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Boughton (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 Boughton mean?
A habitational surname derived from various places in England, likely referring to a settlement near a bow-shaped hill. 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 Boughton (1.03 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 Boughton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.