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

Boyden, 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 Boyden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boyden in America

Boyden is the 13236th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boyden surname appeared 2,307 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Boyden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boyden 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 Boyden

The surname Boyden is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "boga" and "denu," meaning "dweller by the bend or curve" or "dweller in the valley."

One of the earliest known records of the name Boyden can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like document from 1273, which lists a Robert de Bogedene. This suggests that the name was initially used as a place name, referring to someone who lived near a particular geographical feature.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Bogdene, Bogedene, and Bogeden, reflecting the variations in local dialects and scribal practices of the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327 include a reference to a John de Bogedene, providing further evidence of the name's early use.

During the 15th century, the surname Boyden started to become more standardized in its spelling, likely due to the increasing influence of written records and the establishment of more consistent naming conventions. One notable individual from this period was John Boyden, born in 1456 in Shropshire, who served as a member of the local gentry.

In the 16th century, the Boyden family had established a presence in several counties across England. Thomas Boyden (1520-1584), a landowner from Oxfordshire, was involved in a legal dispute over property rights, which is documented in court records from the time.

As the centuries progressed, the Boyden surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. William Boyden (1638-1710), a merchant from Norfolk, was among the early settlers in the American colonies, arriving in Massachusetts in 1663.

Other notable individuals bearing the Boyden surname include:

1. Seth Boyden (1779-1870), an American inventor and manufacturer credited with several innovations in the production of patent leather and malleable iron.

2. Uriah Atherton Boyden (1804-1879), an American inventor and mechanical engineer, best known for his patented turbine water wheel design.

3. Elbridge Boyden (1810-1898), an American architect and builder who designed several prominent structures in Massachusetts, including the Worcester County Courthouse and the Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

4. Rudolph Boyden (1818-1900), a British artist and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting scenes from the English countryside.

5. Willard Boyden (1864-1928), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Utah.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boyden

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

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

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

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