2000
#12,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Bouton
An occupational surname referring to a button maker or seller of buttons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,414 Americans carry the last name Bouton. That puts it at #13,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bouton 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 Bouton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,986
Census rank
#13,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,105 bearers of the surname Bouton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bouton
The surname Bouton is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It traces its roots back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "bouton," which means "button" or "bud."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bouton can be found in the Paris census records of 1292, where a certain Jehan Bouton was listed as a resident of the city. The name also appears in various medieval documents and records from other regions of northern France, such as Normandy and Brittany.
During the Middle Ages, surnames often originated from occupations, physical characteristics, or places of residence. In the case of Bouton, it is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of buttons, or perhaps to those who worked with plants and were responsible for cultivating buds.
In the 16th century, the Bouton family established itself in the region of Normandy, and several members of the family played significant roles in the local community. One notable figure was Pierre Bouton (1535-1604), who served as the mayor of the town of Rouen during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual bearing the surname Bouton was Jacques Bouton (1620-1676), a French Catholic priest and scholar who published several works on theology and philosophy. His contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
Moving forward to the 18th century, the name Bouton gained prominence in the field of horticulture. André Bouton (1724-1798) was a renowned French botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their cultivation.
In more recent times, the Bouton surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life. One notable figure was Victor Bouton (1837-1915), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais de la Porte Dorée.
Throughout its history, the surname Bouton has maintained its presence in various regions of France and has also been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and beyond, as a result of immigration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bouton
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bouton 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 Bouton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 1,840
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 108
- Two or more races3.8% · 80
- Black or African American2.8% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bouton
Bouton 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
#12,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,459
+133 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 321 places
2020
#13,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,105
-354 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,266 | 2,326 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,587 | 2,459 | 0.83 | +133 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 321 places |
| 2020 | #13,760 | 2,105 | 0.70 | -354 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 1,173 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 Bouton 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 | #12,587 | #13,760 | -9.3% |
| Count | 2,459 | 2,105 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.70 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bouton bearers went from 2,459 to 2,105 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 1,173 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,587 to #13,760.
FAQ
Bouton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bouton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,414 living Americans carry the surname Bouton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,986 residents.
How common is Bouton?
Bouton ranks #13,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,105 people with the surname Bouton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Bouton.
Has Bouton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bouton went from 2,459 recorded bearers to 2,105. That is a decrease of 354 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,587 to #13,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Bouton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bouton, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (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 Bouton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (1,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bouton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (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 Bouton (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 Bouton mean?
An occupational surname referring to a button maker or seller of buttons. 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 Bouton (0.70 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 Bouton?
You can see how common the surname Bouton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.