2000
#2,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,765
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.73
Uncommon Last name
Bourgeois
A French surname referring to a person living in a town, derived from the word meaning "town-dweller."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,932 Americans carry the last name Bourgeois. That puts it at #2,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bourgeois 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
15K
1 in 22,954
Census rank
#2,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,021 bearers of the surname Bourgeois in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourgeois, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bourgeois
The surname Bourgeois originated in France, with its earliest recordings dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French word "bourgeois," which referred to an inhabitant of a town or borough. This term evolved from the Latin word "burgensis," meaning a freeman of a borough or walled town.
The name Bourgeois was initially associated with individuals who resided in or hailed from towns or boroughs, distinguishing them from those living in rural areas or villages. It later became a common surname among the urban middle class, reflecting their status as townspeople and their involvement in trade, crafts, or administrative roles within the town's governance.
Historical records indicate that the Bourgeois surname appeared in various medieval documents, including the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing this name may have migrated to England during the Norman Conquest or shortly thereafter.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Bourgeois name was Jean Bourgeois, a French playwright and poet born in the late 16th century (c. 1590-1635). He is notable for his contributions to the development of French drama during the early years of the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was the French philosopher and author Victor Bourgeois (1808-1898), who wrote extensively on political and social issues and was a proponent of the concept of "solidarity" as a guiding principle for society.
In the realm of art, the French painter and sculptor Henri Bourgeois (1892-1965) gained recognition for his cubist and abstract works, particularly his sculptural pieces featuring human forms and organic shapes.
The name Bourgeois also has a notable association with the French Revolution, as the term "bourgeoisie" was used to refer to the urban middle class, which played a significant role in the revolutionary events of the late 18th century.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the Bourgeois surname was the French-American artist and sculptor Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010), whose work explored themes of sexuality, family, and the human psyche through her distinctive and often provocative sculptures and installations.
Throughout history, the Bourgeois surname has been present in various regions of France, as well as in other parts of Europe and the Americas, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that occurred over centuries. The name has endured as a testament to its origins in the urban centers of medieval France and the evolving social and economic roles of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bourgeois
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourgeois, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bourgeois 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 Bourgeois surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 11,023
- Black or African American7.7% · 1,002
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 490
- Two or more races3.0% · 397
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bourgeois
Bourgeois 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
#2,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,325
+560 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#2,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,021
-304 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 4.36
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,598 | 12,765 | 4.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,705 | 13,325 | 4.52 | +560 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #2,704 | 13,021 | 4.36 | -304 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 1 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 Bourgeois 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 | #2,705 | #2,704 | 0.0% |
| Count | 13,325 | 13,021 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.52 | 4.36 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bourgeois bearers went from 13,325 to 13,021 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,705 to #2,704.
FAQ
Bourgeois surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bourgeois?
Name Census estimates that about 14,932 living Americans carry the surname Bourgeois. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,954 residents.
How common is Bourgeois?
Bourgeois ranks #2,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,021 people with the surname Bourgeois. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,932), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bourgeois.
Has Bourgeois become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bourgeois went from 13,325 recorded bearers to 13,021. That is a decrease of 304 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,705 to #2,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Bourgeois?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourgeois, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Bourgeois in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (11,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bourgeois appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Black (7.7%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Bourgeois (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 Bourgeois mean?
A French surname referring to a person living in a town, derived from the word meaning "town-dweller." 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 Bourgeois (4.36 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 Bourgeois?
You can see how many people have the last name Bourgeois on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.