2000
#30,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Bousman
A French surname meaning "forest man" or "woodsman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 768 Americans carry the last name Bousman. That puts it at #36,002 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 446,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bousman 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
768
1 in 446,295
Census rank
#36,002
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
670
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 670 bearers of the surname Bousman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36002nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bousman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bousman
The surname Bousman is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the Dutch village of Bouwens or Bouwen, located in the province of Drenthe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch baptismal records of 1593, where a man named Gysbert Bouwen was documented. This name likely evolved into the modern spelling of Bousman over time, as surnames were often adapted and modified through oral tradition.
In the 17th century, several Bousman families emigrated from the Netherlands to the New World, settling in various areas of what is now the United States. One notable early bearer of the name was Hendrik Bousman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 and became one of the first Dutch settlers in the region.
Another significant figure in the history of the Bousman name was Johann Bousman, a German-born artisan who lived in the late 18th century. He was renowned for his intricate woodcarvings and furniture-making skills, with many of his pieces still preserved in museums and private collections today.
During the 19th century, the Bousman surname gained prominence in various parts of Europe and North America. One notable individual was Wilhelm Bousman (1810-1888), a German philosopher and writer who published several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
In the United States, the name Bousman was particularly prevalent in the state of Pennsylvania, where many early Dutch and German settlers had established communities. One prominent figure from this era was John Bousman (1825-1902), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of his local community.
As the Bousman family spread across different regions, the name underwent several variations in spelling, including Bowsman, Bouwsman, and Bouseman. However, the core origin and meaning of the surname remained rooted in the Dutch village where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bousman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bousman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bousman 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 Bousman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 622
- Two or more races3.4% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bousman
Bousman 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
#32,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 712
-5 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,657 places
2020
#36,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 670
-42 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 3,663 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,682 | 717 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,339 | 712 | 0.24 | -5 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 1,657 places |
| 2020 | #36,002 | 670 | 0.22 | -42 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 3,663 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 Bousman 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 | #32,339 | #36,002 | -11.3% |
| Count | 712 | 670 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.22 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bousman bearers went from 712 to 670 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 3,663 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,339 to #36,002.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bousman
FAQ
Bousman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bousman?
Name Census estimates that about 768 living Americans carry the surname Bousman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 446,295 residents.
How common is Bousman?
Bousman ranks #36,002 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 670 people with the surname Bousman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (768), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bousman.
Has Bousman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bousman went from 712 recorded bearers to 670. That is a decrease of 42 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,339 to #36,002.
What does the Census say about the background of Bousman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bousman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Bousman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (622 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bousman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Bousman (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 Bousman mean?
A French surname meaning "forest man" or "woodsman." 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 Bousman (0.22 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 Bousman?
You can see how many people have the last name Bousman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.