2000
#13,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Boyes
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows or a bow-maker's servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,196 Americans carry the last name Boyes. That puts it at #14,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,081 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boyes 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Boyes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,081
Census rank
#14,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,915 bearers of the surname Boyes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boyes
The surname Boyes originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bois," meaning "wood" or "forest," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Boyes surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "de Bois." This early spelling variation highlights the name's French roots and its association with wooded areas.
The Boyes name was also documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it was recorded as "Boys." This spelling variation further illustrates the name's evolution over time.
During the 13th century, a notable individual named William de Boyes was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1285. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in northern England during that period.
In the 14th century, the Boyes surname made an appearance in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, recorded as "Boyes." This entry suggests that the name had spread to other regions of England by that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Boyes surname in Scotland can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "de Boys." This document recorded individuals who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England.
Notably, a prominent figure named Sir John Boyes (c. 1440-1504) was a distinguished English soldier and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a Standard Bearer for King Henry VII and was knighted for his military service during the Battle of Stoke in 1487.
Another significant individual with the Boyes surname was John Boyes (1609-1679), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire. He was known for his religious writings, including "An Exposition of the Lord's Prayer" and "An Exposition of the Ten Commandments."
In the 18th century, William Boyes (1724-1779) was a notable English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Durham, including the Prebend's Bridge and the County Court buildings.
During the 19th century, John Boyes (1811-1859) was a prominent English engineer and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical method for producing waterproof fabrics, a process known as the "Boyes Process."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boyes
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Boyes 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 Boyes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,715
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 90
- Two or more races3.6% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boyes
Boyes 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
#15,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,965
-17 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,062 places
2020
#14,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,915
-50 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,971 | 1,982 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,033 | 1,965 | 0.67 | -17 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,062 places |
| 2020 | #14,854 | 1,915 | 0.64 | -50 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 179 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 Boyes 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 | #15,033 | #14,854 | 1.2% |
| Count | 1,965 | 1,915 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boyes bearers went from 1,965 to 1,915 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,033 to #14,854.
FAQ
Boyes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boyes?
Name Census estimates that about 2,196 living Americans carry the surname Boyes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,081 residents.
How common is Boyes?
Boyes ranks #14,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,915 people with the surname Boyes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Boyes.
Has Boyes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boyes went from 1,965 recorded bearers to 1,915. That is a decrease of 50 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,033 to #14,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Boyes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Boyes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,715 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boyes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Boyes (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 Boyes mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows or a bow-maker's servant. 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 Boyes (0.64 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 Americans have the surname Boyes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.