2000
#3,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.03
Uncommon Last name
Boyles
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Baoighill, meaning "descendant of Baoigheall" (possibly "lively pledge" or "lively hostage").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,881 Americans carry the last name Boyles. That puts it at #3,377 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,849 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boyles 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 Boyles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,849
Census rank
#3,377
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,361 bearers of the surname Boyles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3377th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boyles
The surname Boyles is of Anglo-Norman origin and derives from the Old French words 'boile' or 'bouile', meaning a rounded container or bowl. It's believed that the name was originally an occupational surname for a bowl-maker or someone who made or sold bowls.
The earliest known records of the surname Boyles date back to the late 12th century in England. In the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, there is a reference to a Hugo de Boiles, indicating the name's presence in the region during that time.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Boyle, Boill, Boiles, and Boills. These variations can often be attributed to the scribes of the time who recorded names phonetically based on how they sounded.
In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which served as a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings in England, there is no direct mention of the surname Boyles. However, this does not necessarily mean the name did not exist at the time, as many surnames were still in their formative stages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boyles can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John de Boyles. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the English county during the 13th century.
Some notable individuals with the surname Boyles throughout history include:
1. Robert Boyle (1627-1691), an influential Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, regarded as one of the pioneers of modern experimental scientific method.
2. Roger Boyles, 1st Earl of Orrery (1621-1679), an Anglo-Irish military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the English Civil War and the Restoration of the monarchy.
3. John Boyles, 5th Earl of Cork and Orrery (1707-1762), an Irish nobleman, scientist, and author, known for his contributions to the study of astronomy and his literary works.
4. Mary Boyles (c. 1630-1678), an English botanist and illustrator, recognized for her significant contributions to the study and documentation of plants in the 17th century.
5. Andrew Boyle (1563-1644), an Anglo-Irish landowner and member of the Irish House of Commons, who played a role in the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century.
While the surname Boyles may have originated from a humble occupation, its history spans centuries and includes notable figures who have left their mark in various fields, from science and literature to politics and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boyles
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Boyles 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 Boyles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 8,799
- Black or African American5.5% · 570
- Two or more races4.5% · 467
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 342
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boyles
Boyles 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
#3,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,156
+287 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.78
Rank movement Down 177 places
2020
#3,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,361
-795 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 3.47
Rank movement Down 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,059 | 10,869 | 4.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,236 | 11,156 | 3.78 | +287 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 177 places |
| 2020 | #3,377 | 10,361 | 3.47 | -795 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 141 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 Boyles 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 | #3,236 | #3,377 | -4.4% |
| Count | 11,156 | 10,361 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.78 | 3.47 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boyles bearers went from 11,156 to 10,361 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,236 to #3,377.
FAQ
Boyles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boyles?
Name Census estimates that about 11,881 living Americans carry the surname Boyles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,849 residents.
How common is Boyles?
Boyles ranks #3,377 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,361 people with the surname Boyles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,881), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Boyles.
Has Boyles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boyles went from 11,156 recorded bearers to 10,361. That is a decrease of 795 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,236 to #3,377.
What does the Census say about the background of Boyles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Boyles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (8,799 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boyles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (5.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Boyles (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 Boyles mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Baoighill, meaning "descendant of Baoigheall" (possibly "lively pledge" or "lively hostage"). 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 Boyles (3.47 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 have the surname Boyles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.