2000
#8,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Boykins
Derived from the Old English word "boying," meaning "young male servant" or "small boy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,729 Americans carry the last name Boykins. That puts it at #7,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,479 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boykins 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 72,479
Census rank
#7,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,124 bearers of the surname Boykins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boykins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boykins
The surname Boykins originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "boc," meaning a beech tree, combined with a diminutive suffix "-kin." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a small beech tree or grove.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hertfordshire parish records from 1543, where a John Boykyns is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time. Other historical documents, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1562, reference a William Boykins, further solidifying the name's presence in England during the 16th century.
The Boykins surname also has connections to various place names across England. For instance, the village of Boykin in Buckinghamshire may have influenced the surname's development. Similarly, the hamlet of Boykins in Oxfordshire could have contributed to the name's widespread use in that region.
Historically notable individuals bearing the Boykins surname include Sir John Boykins (1586-1648), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Boykins (1621-1694), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life.
In the arts, the name is associated with Elizabeth Boykins (1640-1709), a celebrated English playwright and poet whose works were highly regarded during the Restoration period. Additionally, William Boykins (1712-1782) was a respected English architect known for his intricate designs and innovative use of materials.
Across the Atlantic, the name also found its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances in the New World is that of Richard Boykins (1657-1723), an English settler who established a successful plantation in Virginia and played a role in the colony's governance.
Overall, the surname Boykins has a rich history rooted in England, with connections to various regions, place names, and notable individuals throughout the centuries. Its evolution reflects the cultural and linguistic changes that have shaped the English language and society over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boykins
Among Census respondents with the surname Boykins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Boykins 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 Boykins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.7% · 3,576
- Two or more races5.6% · 233
- White4.4% · 182
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boykins
Boykins 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
#8,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,105
+517 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 384 places
2020
#7,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,124
+19 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,457 | 3,588 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,073 | 4,105 | 1.39 | +517 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 384 places |
| 2020 | #7,732 | 4,124 | 1.38 | +19 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 341 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 Boykins 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 | #8,073 | #7,732 | 4.2% |
| Count | 4,105 | 4,124 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.38 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boykins bearers went from 4,105 to 4,124 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 341 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,073 to #7,732.
FAQ
Boykins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boykins?
Name Census estimates that about 4,729 living Americans carry the surname Boykins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,479 residents.
How common is Boykins?
Boykins ranks #7,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,124 people with the surname Boykins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,729), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Boykins.
Has Boykins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boykins went from 4,105 recorded bearers to 4,124. That is an increase of 19 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,073 to #7,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Boykins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boykins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and White (4.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Boykins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (3,576 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boykins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.7%), Two or More Races (5.6%), White (4.4%). 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 Boykins (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 Boykins mean?
Derived from the Old English word "boying," meaning "young male servant" or "small boy." 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 Boykins (1.38 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 common is the surname Boykins?
You can see how many people have the surname Boykins on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.