2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Boustany
A Lebanese surname referring to someone from Boustane or the Mediterranean coast.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 193 Americans carry the last name Boustany. That puts it at #111,467 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,775,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boustany 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
193
1 in 1,775,929
Census rank
#111,467
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
168
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 168 bearers of the surname Boustany in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111467th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boustany, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boustany
The surname Boustany originates from the Levantine region, particularly Lebanon. It is an Arabic name derived from the word "bustani," which means "gardener" or "person who tends to gardens and orchards." The name's roots can be traced back to the 16th century or earlier, when it was likely used as an occupational surname for those involved in horticulture or landscaping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boustany can be found in Ottoman Empire records from the 17th century, where it appears in documents related to land ownership and taxation in the Mount Lebanon region. The name was particularly prevalent in areas known for their fertile valleys and agricultural traditions, such as the Bekaa Valley and the regions surrounding Beirut.
During the 19th century, several notable individuals bearing the Boustany surname emerged. One such person was Khalil Boustany (1818-1892), a Lebanese writer and intellectual who played a significant role in the Nahda, the Arab literary renaissance. Another prominent figure was Butrus Boustany (1846-1907), a Maronite Catholic priest and scholar who contributed to the preservation of Arabic literature and culture.
The early 20th century saw the rise of Salim Boustany (1885-1968), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in Lebanon. He was also a member of the Lebanese Parliament and played a crucial role in the country's independence movement.
In the field of arts and culture, Amal Boustany (1947-2018) was a renowned Lebanese painter and sculptor who gained international recognition for her abstract and figurative works. Her artworks are housed in prestigious collections around the world, including the British Museum and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
Beyond Lebanon, the Boustany surname can be found among Lebanese diaspora communities worldwide, particularly in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. One notable figure from this diaspora is Ralph Boustany (1945-), a Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist who has been active in promoting cultural exchange and understanding between the United States and the Middle East.
While the Boustany surname has its roots in the Levantine region and the Arabic language, it has also become part of the cultural fabric of various communities around the world, reflecting the global reach and influence of Lebanese migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boustany
Among Census respondents with the surname Boustany, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Boustany 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 Boustany surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 162
- Two or more races2.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boustany
Boustany 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+8 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,991 places
2020
#111,467
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
+20 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 6,013 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 1,991 places |
| 2020 | #111,467 | 168 | 0.06 | +20 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 6,013 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 Boustany 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 | #117,480 | #111,467 | 5.1% |
| Count | 148 | 168 | 13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boustany bearers went from 148 to 168 (+13.5% change). The surname moved up 6,013 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #111,467.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Boustany
FAQ
Boustany surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boustany?
Name Census estimates that about 193 living Americans carry the surname Boustany. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,775,929 residents.
How common is Boustany?
Boustany ranks #111,467 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 168 people with the surname Boustany. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (193), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Boustany.
Has Boustany become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boustany went from 148 recorded bearers to 168. That is an increase of 20 (+13.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #117,480 to #111,467.
What does the Census say about the background of Boustany?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boustany, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Boustany in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (162 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boustany appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Boustany (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 Boustany mean?
A Lebanese surname referring to someone from Boustane or the Mediterranean coast. 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 Boustany (0.06 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 are called Boustany?
Want to know how many people are called Boustany? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.