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

Boyd, 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 Boyd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boyd in America

Boyd is the 176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boyd surname appeared 153,469 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 52 people would have the surname Boyd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boyd 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 Boyd

The surname Boyd is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "boidh" meaning fair or yellow. It is thought to have originated in the 12th century and was initially a descriptive nickname referring to someone with yellow or fair hair.

The earliest recorded instance of the Boyd surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland. Robert Boyd of Ayrshire is listed among these names.

Throughout the medieval period, the Boyds were a prominent landowning family in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. The family's power and influence grew significantly in the 15th century when Sir Thomas Boyd was appointed Lord of the Isles and Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland by King James II.

The Boyds are mentioned in various historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Place names such as Kilmarnock, Ardrossan, and Portencross were associated with the Boyd family's land holdings.

Notable individuals with the surname Boyd include:

1. Robert Boyd of Trochrig (c. 1578–1627), Scottish theologian and principal of the University of Glasgow.
2. Zachary Boyd (1585–1653), Scottish minister and poet known for his religious works.
3. Sir Thomas Boyd (c. 1654–1726), Scottish architect responsible for designing numerous buildings in Edinburgh.
4. Andrew Boyd (1825–1899), Scottish-American military officer who fought for the Union during the American Civil War.
5. Belle Boyd (1844–1900), Confederate spy during the American Civil War, known as the "Cleopatra of the Secession."

The Boyd surname has since spread globally, with notable bearers in various fields, including literature, politics, and sports. However, its roots can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic word "boidh," reflecting its origins as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair or yellow hair.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boyd

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

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

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

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