2000
#7,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,279
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Boyett
A French occupational surname referring to a wood cutter or woodsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,673 Americans carry the last name Boyett. That puts it at #7,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boyett 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.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,348
Census rank
#7,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,075 bearers of the surname Boyett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boyett
The surname Boyett has its roots traced back to the English medieval era, originating from regions in the counties of Somerset and Devon in the south-west of England. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "boga," meaning "a bow" or "an archer," suggesting a historical connection to archery or military service.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Boieta" or "Boiet." This vital historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and variations of surnames during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, the name is documented in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Boyete" and "Boyet." This suggests that the surname had already established itself and was in use across different regions of England.
During the late medieval and early modern periods, the name evolved into its current spelling of "Boyett." One notable figure from this era was Richard Boyett, a merchant and alderman from the city of Bristol, who lived in the late 15th century and is mentioned in local records from that time.
In the 17th century, John Boyett, born in 1623 in Somerset, was a prominent figure who served as a justice of the peace and played a role in the local government of his region. His son, William Boyett (1655-1718), continued the family's legacy as a respected landowner and magistrate.
Another significant figure bearing the Boyett surname was Sir Thomas Boyett (1695-1768), a successful businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridport in Dorset during the mid-18th century.
The 19th century saw the migration of many Boyett families to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where they contributed to the growth and development of their new communities. One notable example is James Boyett (1825-1892), a farmer and landowner who settled in Ontario, Canada, and played a role in the region's agricultural development.
Throughout its history, the surname Boyett has been associated with various professions, from military service and archery in its early origins to merchants, landowners, politicians, and farmers in later centuries. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its connection to the Old English word "boga" and the archery tradition remains a significant part of its etymological heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boyett
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Boyett 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 Boyett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 3,607
- Two or more races4.9% · 200
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 154
- Black or African American1.8% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boyett
Boyett 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
#7,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,465
+186 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 272 places
2020
#7,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,075
-390 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 343 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,193 | 4,279 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,465 | 4,465 | 1.51 | +186 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 272 places |
| 2020 | #7,808 | 4,075 | 1.36 | -390 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 343 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 Boyett 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 | #7,465 | #7,808 | -4.6% |
| Count | 4,465 | 4,075 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.36 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boyett bearers went from 4,465 to 4,075 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 343 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,465 to #7,808.
FAQ
Boyett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boyett?
Name Census estimates that about 4,673 living Americans carry the surname Boyett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,348 residents.
How common is Boyett?
Boyett ranks #7,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,075 people with the surname Boyett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Boyett.
Has Boyett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boyett went from 4,465 recorded bearers to 4,075. That is a decrease of 390 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,465 to #7,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Boyett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Boyett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (3,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boyett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Boyett (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 Boyett mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a wood cutter or woodsman. 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 Boyett (1.36 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 people are called Boyett?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Boyett? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.