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

Bovian, 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 Bovian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bovian in America

Bovian is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bovian surname appeared 108 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 Bovian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bovian 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 Bovian

The surname BOVIAN has its origins traced back to England, with records dating as far back as the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bovig," which translates to "bow-shaped" or "curved." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone living near a curved or bow-shaped landscape feature.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Bovian is listed as holding property in the county of Oxfordshire. This historical record lends credence to the theory that the name originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the BOVIAN surname was Sir William Bovian, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Welsh Wars. He was born around 1260 and is mentioned in several chronicles from that era for his bravery on the battlefield.

During the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing BOVIAN families residing in counties such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was John Bovian, a merchant and alderman from the city of York, who lived from approximately 1320 to 1395.

The 16th century saw the emergence of Richard Bovian, a renowned scholar and theologian born in 1525. He studied at the University of Oxford and later became a fellow of Magdalen College, where he taught and wrote extensively on religious matters.

In the 17th century, a prominent member of the BOVIAN family was Elizabeth Bovian, born in 1623. She was a notable poet and playwright, whose works were published and performed in London during the Restoration period.

As the centuries progressed, the BOVIAN surname continued to be found across various regions of England, with some variations in spelling, such as Bovyan, Bovien, and Bowvian, emerging over time. These variations often reflected local dialects and pronunciations, but all shared a common ancestral root.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bovian

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

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 Bovian 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 Bovian 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 Bovian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!