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

Boyce, 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 Boyce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boyce in America

Boyce is the 1337th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boyce surname appeared 26,376 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Boyce.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boyce 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 Boyce

The surname Boyce has its origins in France and is derived from the Old French word "bois," meaning "woods" or "forest." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bois" and "Boys." These entries suggest that the name had already become established in England by the late 11th century, possibly introduced by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the name took on various spellings, including "Boyce," "Boyes," and "Boyse," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. These spellings were often interchangeable, and it was not until the 16th century that the modern spelling "Boyce" became more standardized.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Boyce, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1347. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Boyce, a military commander who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Boyce was associated with several prominent individuals, including Sir Roger Boyce, a member of the English gentry, and Robert Boyce, a Puritan minister who emigrated to New England in the 1630s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Boyce gained further recognition through individuals such as Benjamin Boyce (1659-1718), an English theologian and author, and William Boyce (1711-1779), a renowned English composer and organist.

Into the 19th century, notable bearers of the name included Rugeley George Boyce (1793-1866), an English architect, and James Boyce (1815-1899), an Australian botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of Tasmanian flora.

Throughout its history, the surname Boyce has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, military figures, and explorers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name of French origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boyce

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

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

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

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