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

Boulay, 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 Boulay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boulay in America

Boulay is the 18950th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boulay surname appeared 1,440 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 Boulay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boulay 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 Boulay

The surname Boulay originates from France, specifically the region of Normandy, where it first appeared in the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bouler," which means "to roll," and is thought to have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with rolling or shaping objects, such as a baker or a miller.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Boulay can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Willelmus de Bulli," indicating that it was already in use among Norman settlers in England at that time.

In the 13th century, the name was frequently recorded in various spellings, such as "Boulley," "Boullay," and "Bouleye," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era. The place name "Boulay" can also be found in several locations across Normandy, suggesting that the surname may have originated from these specific areas.

One notable bearer of the surname Boulay was Jean Boulay, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1529 to 1604. He was a renowned scholar and author, best known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.

Another significant figure was Claude Boulay (1572-1645), a French jurist and historian who served as the royal historiographer under King Louis XIII. His most notable work was the "Historia Universitatis Parisiensis," a comprehensive history of the University of Paris.

In the realm of art, Jean Boulay (1620-1676) was a prominent French painter and engraver during the Baroque period. He was particularly skilled in portraiture and worked for several notable patrons, including the French royal family.

During the 18th century, Jacques-Nicolas Boulay (1736-1800) was a French Revolutionary and politician who served as a deputy in the National Convention and played a role in the events surrounding the French Revolution.

More recently, Pierre Boulay (1912-1989) was a distinguished French architect and urban planner, known for his influential work in the reconstruction and development of cities in the post-World War II era.

These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname Boulay across various fields and time periods, reflecting its deep roots in French history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boulay

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

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

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

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