2000
#8,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,506
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Boulware
A locational surname derived from a place in Wiltshire, England, referring to a fortified structure or stronghold.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,109 Americans carry the last name Boulware. That puts it at #8,781 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,416 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boulware 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.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,416
Census rank
#8,781
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,583 bearers of the surname Boulware in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8781st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulware, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boulware
The surname Boulware is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the Old English words "bul" and "waer," which together mean "bull protector" or "bull keeper." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was responsible for tending or guarding bulls, perhaps on a farm or estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boulware can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where a person named Willelmus Boulware was mentioned. The name also appears in various other historical records from that era, such as the Court Rolls of Wiltshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.
The Boulware surname has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Boulwer, Bolware, and Bulware. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects, linguistic evolutions, and inconsistencies in record-keeping practices.
One notable figure bearing the Boulware name was Sir John Boulware, a knight who lived in the 14th century and was known for his military exploits during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Records indicate that he participated in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another prominent individual was William Boulware, a 16th-century merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, England. Historical documents suggest that he amassed considerable wealth through his trading ventures and acquired substantial landholdings in the region.
In the 17th century, the Boulware surname can be found in the parish records of various English counties, such as Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset. This indicates that the name had spread across different parts of the country by that time.
One noteworthy figure from this period was Robert Boulware, a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwick from 1632 to 1658. He was known for his scholarly pursuits and authored several theological treatises.
As the British Empire expanded, the Boulware name also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Boulware residing in colonial America, particularly in Virginia and the Carolinas.
Throughout its history, the Boulware surname has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, trade, clergy, and military service. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and beyond, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have borne this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boulware
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulware, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Boulware 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 Boulware surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.4% · 1,840
- Black or African American38.4% · 1,375
- Two or more races5.5% · 197
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boulware
Boulware 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
#8,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,903
+397 bearers (+11.3%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Up 169 places
2020
#8,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,583
-320 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,633 | 3,506 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,464 | 3,903 | 1.32 | +397 bearers (+11.3%) | Up 169 places |
| 2020 | #8,781 | 3,583 | 1.20 | -320 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 317 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 Boulware 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 | #8,464 | #8,781 | -3.7% |
| Count | 3,903 | 3,583 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.20 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boulware bearers went from 3,903 to 3,583 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 317 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,464 to #8,781.
FAQ
Boulware surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boulware?
Name Census estimates that about 4,109 living Americans carry the surname Boulware. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,416 residents.
How common is Boulware?
Boulware ranks #8,781 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,583 people with the surname Boulware. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Boulware.
Has Boulware become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boulware went from 3,903 recorded bearers to 3,583. That is a decrease of 320 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,464 to #8,781.
What does the Census say about the background of Boulware?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boulware, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Boulware in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.4% (1,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boulware appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.4%), Black (38.4%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Boulware (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 Boulware mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Wiltshire, England, referring to a fortified structure or stronghold. 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 Boulware (1.20 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 Boulware?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Boulware on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.