2000
#14,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,956
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Boyko
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word "bojko," referring to a member of the Boyko ethnic group in the Carpathian Mountains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,714 Americans carry the last name Boyko. That puts it at #12,506 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,291 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boyko 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
2.7K
1 in 126,291
Census rank
#12,506
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,367 bearers of the surname Boyko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12506th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boyko
The surname BOYKO has its origins in Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions of modern-day Ukraine and Poland. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th or 16th century, derived from the Slavic word "boyko," which referred to a person who was combative or belligerent in nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the BOYKO surname can be traced back to historical documents and records from the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia, a region that encompassed parts of present-day western Ukraine and southeastern Poland. These documents, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, often referenced individuals with the surname BOYKO, suggesting its widespread use among the local populace.
One notable historical figure bearing the BOYKO surname was Ivan BOYKO, a prominent Cossack leader who lived in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in the Cossack uprisings against Polish rule, leading his forces in several battles and skirmishes. Ivan BOYKO's exploits were documented in various chronicles and records of the time, cementing his place in the region's history.
In the 18th century, the BOYKO surname gained further prominence with the birth of Petro BOYKO (1722-1798), a renowned Ukrainian philosopher and educator. Petro BOYKO was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time, contributing to the development of educational systems and philosophical discourse in the region.
Another notable individual with the BOYKO surname was Andrii BOYKO (1857-1928), a Ukrainian writer and poet who played a crucial role in the cultural renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works celebrated Ukrainian heritage and helped to preserve and promote the region's literary traditions.
The BOYKO surname has also been associated with several place names in the regions of Ukraine and Poland, such as the village of Boyky in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast of Ukraine, and the town of Boykowszczyzna in southeastern Poland. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence and influence of individuals bearing the BOYKO name in those areas.
Throughout its history, the BOYKO surname has maintained a strong connection to its Eastern European roots, particularly in the regions of Ukraine and Poland. While its origins can be traced back to the 15th or 16th centuries, the name has endured and continues to be associated with the cultural heritage and historical significance of these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boyko
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Boyko 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 Boyko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 2,255
- Two or more races2.0% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boyko
Boyko 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
#13,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,271
+315 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 697 places
2020
#12,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,367
+96 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 912 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,115 | 1,956 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,418 | 2,271 | 0.77 | +315 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 697 places |
| 2020 | #12,506 | 2,367 | 0.79 | +96 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 912 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 Boyko 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 | #13,418 | #12,506 | 6.8% |
| Count | 2,271 | 2,367 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.79 | 2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boyko bearers went from 2,271 to 2,367 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 912 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,418 to #12,506.
FAQ
Boyko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boyko?
Name Census estimates that about 2,714 living Americans carry the surname Boyko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,291 residents.
How common is Boyko?
Boyko ranks #12,506 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,367 people with the surname Boyko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Boyko.
Has Boyko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boyko went from 2,271 recorded bearers to 2,367. That is an increase of 96 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,418 to #12,506.
What does the Census say about the background of Boyko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyko, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Boyko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (2,255 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boyko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Boyko (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 Boyko mean?
A Ukrainian surname derived from the word "bojko," referring to a member of the Boyko ethnic group in the Carpathian Mountains. 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 Boyko (0.79 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 share the surname Boyko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.