Find out how popular the last name Bovan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bovan.

Bovan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bovan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bovan in America

Bovan is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bovan surname appeared 217 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bovan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bovan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bovan

The surname BOVAN is believed to have originated in Croatia during the 13th century. It is derived from the Slavic word "bovan," which means "bell" or "bell-ringer." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who worked as a bell-ringer in a church or a town crier.

The earliest recorded mention of the BOVAN surname can be found in a manuscript from the Dubrovnik region of Croatia, dated around 1280. The document refers to a man named Petar Bovan, who was listed as a bell-ringer for the local church.

Throughout the centuries, variations of the BOVAN surname emerged, such as Bovani, Bovanic, and Bovanić. These spellings were often influenced by local dialects and the scribes who recorded them.

One notable individual with the BOVAN surname was Marko Bovan (1551-1621), a Croatian painter and architect who was known for his work in the Renaissance style. He was commissioned to create several frescoes in churches throughout Dalmatia.

Another historical figure was Nikola Bovan (1720-1782), a Croatian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He is known for his work on calculating the orbits of comets and planets.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure was Frano Bovan (1824-1898), a Croatian politician and writer who played a crucial role in the Dalmatian autonomist movement. He advocated for greater autonomy for the region within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the BOVAN surname in the United States was Josip Bovan, who arrived in New York City in 1892 from the Croatian region of Istria.

Another notable individual was Ivan Bovan (1873-1945), a Croatian-American businessman and philanthropist. He founded a successful construction company in Chicago and donated a significant portion of his wealth to support educational initiatives in his homeland.

While the BOVAN surname has its roots in Croatia, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to immigration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the bell-ringers and town criers of medieval Croatia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bovan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bovan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bovan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bovan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bovan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bovan, please contact us.

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