2000
#10,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Bovee
French occupational surname for a cowherd or ox drover, derived from the Old French "buef" meaning "ox" or "bull."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,213 Americans carry the last name Bovee. That puts it at #10,859 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,677 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bovee 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
3.2K
1 in 106,677
Census rank
#10,859
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,802 bearers of the surname Bovee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10859th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovee, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bovee
The surname Bovee is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It likely originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the Normandy area. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French word "boue," meaning "mud" or "clay," suggesting a connection to an occupation or location associated with muddy or clayey terrain.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Bouvey, Bouvée, and Bouvay, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, England, dated 1176, where a Robert de Bouveye is mentioned.
The Bovee surname gained prominence in the 14th and 15th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was Jacques Bovee, a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley, France, during the early 16th century.
Another historical figure of note was Jean Bovee, a French Protestant theologian and author who lived from 1549 to 1621. His works, particularly his treatise on religious tolerance, played a significant role in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time.
In the 17th century, the Bovee family established a presence in the New World, with some members settling in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York). One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of Pieter Bovee, who arrived in New Amsterdam (New York City) in 1662.
The 18th century saw the rise of Antoine Bovee, a French military officer who served in the French and Indian War and later fought alongside the American colonists during the American Revolutionary War. His bravery and leadership earned him recognition and respect from both sides of the conflict.
As the Bovee surname spread across different regions, it underwent further variations in spelling, including Bove, Bovey, and Bovy. One notable bearer of this variant was William Bovey, an English engineer and architect who lived from 1773 to 1853 and was responsible for the construction of several notable bridges and buildings in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bovee
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovee, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bovee 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 Bovee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 2,530
- Two or more races4.3% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 100
- Black or African American0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bovee
Bovee 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
#11,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,754
+68 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 555 places
2020
#10,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,802
+48 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 577 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,881 | 2,686 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,436 | 2,754 | 0.93 | +68 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 555 places |
| 2020 | #10,859 | 2,802 | 0.94 | +48 bearers (+1.7%) | Up 577 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 Bovee 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 | #11,436 | #10,859 | 5.0% |
| Count | 2,754 | 2,802 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.94 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bovee bearers went from 2,754 to 2,802 (+1.7% change). The surname moved up 577 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,436 to #10,859.
FAQ
Bovee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bovee?
Name Census estimates that about 3,213 living Americans carry the surname Bovee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,677 residents.
How common is Bovee?
Bovee ranks #10,859 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,802 people with the surname Bovee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Bovee.
Has Bovee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bovee went from 2,754 recorded bearers to 2,802. That is an increase of 48 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,436 to #10,859.
What does the Census say about the background of Bovee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovee, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Bovee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (2,530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bovee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Bovee (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 Bovee mean?
French occupational surname for a cowherd or ox drover, derived from the Old French "buef" meaning "ox" or "bull." 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 Bovee (0.94 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 common is the surname Bovee?
See how many people have the surname Bovee on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.