2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bovenkamp
A locational surname referring to someone from Bovenkamp, a location in the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bovenkamp. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bovenkamp 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bovenkamp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovenkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bovenkamp
The surname Bovenkamp originated in the Netherlands, likely emerging during the medieval period. It is derived from the Dutch words "boven" meaning "above" and "kamp" meaning "field" or "cultivated land." This suggests the name initially referred to someone who lived or worked on higher ground or elevated farmland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bovenkamp name appears in a 15th-century Dutch census record from the city of Utrecht. Similar spellings found in historical documents include Bovencamp, Bovencampe, and Bovencamp. These variations reflect regional dialects and changes in spelling conventions over time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jan Bovenkamp (1525-1598) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leiden. His successful business dealings and civic involvement likely contributed to the name's visibility and spread throughout the region.
During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, a painter named Gerrit Bovenkamp (1610-1675) gained recognition for his landscape and still-life works. Several of his paintings can be found in various Dutch museums and art collections today.
Another individual of note was Pieter Bovenkamp (1768-1842), a Dutch military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of general and received several honors for his service and leadership.
In the 19th century, a Dutch-born engineer named Hendrik Bovenkamp (1832-1901) made significant contributions to the development of early steam engine technology. His innovative designs and patents helped advance the industrial revolution in Europe.
As the Bovenkamp name spread beyond the Netherlands, it can be found in historical records and among notable individuals in other parts of Europe and even North America, where Dutch immigrants settled in the colonial era and later waves of migration.
While the exact origins of the Bovenkamp surname may be lost to history, its linguistic roots and early appearances in Dutch records provide insight into its meaning and evolution over centuries as a distinct marker of identity and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bovenkamp
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovenkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bovenkamp 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 Bovenkamp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 110
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bovenkamp
Bovenkamp 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 2,174 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 Bovenkamp 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 | #149,395 | #147,221 | 1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 113 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bovenkamp bearers went from 110 to 113 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 2,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bovenkamp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bovenkamp?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bovenkamp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bovenkamp?
Bovenkamp ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Bovenkamp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bovenkamp.
Has Bovenkamp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bovenkamp went from 110 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bovenkamp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bovenkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bovenkamp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bovenkamp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bovenkamp (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 Bovenkamp mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Bovenkamp, a location in the Netherlands. 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 Bovenkamp (0.04 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 Bovenkamp?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Bovenkamp is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.