2000
#12,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,245
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Boulton
A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "town by a hill or boulder."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,627 Americans carry the last name Boulton. That puts it at #12,830 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boulton 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 Boulton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,474
Census rank
#12,830
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,291 bearers of the surname Boulton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12830th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulton, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boulton
The surname Boulton originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'bol' meaning a dwelling and 'tun' meaning an enclosure or farmstead. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent building or fortification.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Boleton'. This reference suggests that the name was already established in parts of England prior to the Norman Conquest.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, variations of the name such as 'Boulton', 'Bolleton', and 'Boulton' began appearing in various historical records and charters across different counties in England, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Lancashire.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir Matthew Boulton (1728-1809), a renowned English manufacturer and partner of James Watt in the industrial revolution. He played a pivotal role in the development of the steam engine and established the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Boulton (1681-1737), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works, including "A Complete Body of Divinity" published in 1720.
In the 16th century, the name Boulton was associated with the village of Boulton in Derbyshire, which was sometimes spelled as 'Bowlton' or 'Boulton'. This place name likely contributed to the further spread and establishment of the surname.
During the 17th century, Richard Boulton (1615-1672) was a notable English clergyman who served as a Canon of Canterbury Cathedral and was known for his religious writings.
In the 18th century, Matthew Boulton (1703-1778), an English manufacturer and entrepreneur, founded the Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, which produced a wide range of products including buttons, buckles, and silverware.
These examples illustrate the long history and prominence of the Boulton surname in England, particularly in the areas of industry, religion, and literature, spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boulton
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulton, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Boulton 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 Boulton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 1,886
- Black or African American7.3% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 104
- Two or more races4.1% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boulton
Boulton 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
#12,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,414
+169 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 135 places
2020
#12,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,291
-123 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 48 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,647 | 2,245 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,782 | 2,414 | 0.82 | +169 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 135 places |
| 2020 | #12,830 | 2,291 | 0.77 | -123 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 48 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 Boulton 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 | #12,782 | #12,830 | -0.4% |
| Count | 2,414 | 2,291 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.77 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boulton bearers went from 2,414 to 2,291 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 48 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,782 to #12,830.
FAQ
Boulton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boulton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,627 living Americans carry the surname Boulton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,474 residents.
How common is Boulton?
Boulton ranks #12,830 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,291 people with the surname Boulton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,627), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Boulton.
Has Boulton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boulton went from 2,414 recorded bearers to 2,291. That is a decrease of 123 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,782 to #12,830.
What does the Census say about the background of Boulton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulton, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Boulton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (1,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boulton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (7.3%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Boulton (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 Boulton mean?
A locational surname derived from places in England meaning "town by a hill or boulder." 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 Boulton (0.77 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 have the last name Boulton?
You can see how many people have the surname Boulton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.