NameCensus.

UK surname

Boag

A surname of Scottish origin referring to someone who lived near a marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 872 people recorded with the Boag surname, ranking it #4,350 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 964, ranked #5,964, down from #4,350 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochee, Largs Central and Cumbrae and Greenock Upper Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boag is 1,042 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.6%.

1881 census count

872

Ranked #4,350

Modern count

964

2016, ranked #5,964

Peak year

1901

1,042 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boag had 872 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,350 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 964 in 2016, ranked #5,964.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,042 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Boag surname distribution map

The map shows where the Boag surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Boag surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boag over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 782 #3,414
1861 historical 780 #3,524
1881 historical 872 #4,350
1891 historical 958 #4,317
1901 historical 1,042 #4,593
1911 historical 378 #9,698
1997 modern 983 #5,579
1998 modern 1,020 #5,591
1999 modern 1,001 #5,710
2000 modern 991 #5,728
2001 modern 964 #5,757
2002 modern 982 #5,784
2003 modern 972 #5,725
2004 modern 939 #5,897
2005 modern 924 #5,901
2006 modern 954 #5,777
2007 modern 961 #5,790
2008 modern 968 #5,791
2009 modern 954 #5,981
2010 modern 985 #5,947
2011 modern 987 #5,879
2012 modern 951 #5,975
2013 modern 935 #6,172
2014 modern 950 #6,125
2015 modern 958 #6,024
2016 modern 964 #5,964

Geography

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Where Boags are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochee, Largs Central and Cumbrae, Greenock Upper Central, Ardler and St Marys and IZ15. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochee Dundee City
2 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
3 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde
4 Ardler and St Marys Dundee City
5 IZ15 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boag

These lists show first names that appear often with the Boag surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boag

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boag, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Boag surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Boag household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Boag is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boag is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boag falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boag is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Boag, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Boag

The surname Boag originates from Scotland, where it first appeared in the 14th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "bog," meaning "soft" or "marshy," indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a marsh or bog.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boag can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, dated 1395, which mentions a John de Bog. This suggests that the name was initially spelled "Bog" before evolving into its current form.

In the 16th century, the Boag surname was concentrated in the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. The name was also associated with the village of Boag, located in the parish of Mauchline, Ayrshire, which likely contributed to the surname's widespread use in the region.

Notable individuals with the surname Boag throughout history include:

1. John Boag (c. 1775-1863), a Scottish poet and writer from Riccarton, Ayrshire. 2. James Boag (1816-1891), an Australian brewer who founded the J. Boag & Son brewery in Launceston, Tasmania, in 1883. 3. Alexander Boag (1844-1918), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. 4. Robert Boag (1889-1967), a Scottish trade unionist and Labour politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Glasgow Tradeston from 1945 to 1959. 5. William Muir Boag (1902-1981), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Swift Current, Saskatchewan, from 1935 to 1945.

While the Boag surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including literature, business, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boag families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boag surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 203 Boags recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.42x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 203 7.42x
Northumberland 127 10.09x
Renfrewshire 101 15.41x
Fife 66 13.18x
Perthshire 51 13.44x
Midlothian 41 3.62x
Durham 40 1.59x
Ayrshire 23 3.63x
Argyllshire 19 8.07x
West Lothian 18 14.13x
Dunbartonshire 16 7.04x
Lancashire 16 0.16x
Middlesex 16 0.19x
Yorkshire 16 0.19x
Norfolk 14 1.08x
Buteshire 13 25.37x
Stirlingshire 13 4.17x
Morayshire 11 8.37x
Angus 8 1.02x
Berwickshire 8 7.81x
Clackmannanshire 8 11.45x
Surrey 7 0.17x
Sussex 6 0.42x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.64x
Derbyshire 4 0.30x
Shetland 4 4.63x
Kinross-shire 3 14.03x
Cheshire 2 0.11x
Cumberland 2 0.27x
Monmouthshire 2 0.33x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.54x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Kent 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 52 Boags recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.51x.

Place Total Index
Barony 52 7.51x
West Greenock 50 42.50x
Dunfermline 46 59.76x
Govan 34 5.03x
Glasgow 26 5.35x
Bothwell 24 32.35x
Dunning 24 506.33x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 24 31.94x
Westgate 23 29.51x
Avondale 17 106.32x
Old Monkland 17 15.66x
Largs 16 107.31x
Abbey 15 15.00x
Elswick 15 14.94x
North Shields 13 51.77x
Dumbarton 12 37.94x
Dunoon Kilmun 12 65.36x
Gateshead 11 5.84x
Westoe 11 7.71x
Newcastle On Tyne St 10 15.33x
Rothesay 10 40.29x
Cockpen 9 67.98x
Eastwood 9 22.30x
Edinkillie 9 263.16x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 9 54.41x
South Leith 9 7.06x
Thorpe Next Norwich 9 65.31x
Neilston 8 24.32x
Nenthorn 8 606.06x
Shotley Low Quarter 8 500.00x
Tillicoultry 8 51.48x
Tynemouth 8 11.87x
Bishop Auckland 7 20.73x
Hamilton 7 9.18x
Hartlepool 7 19.57x
Byker 6 9.65x
Camberwell 6 1.11x
Crieff 6 42.49x
Dundee 6 2.05x
East Greenock 6 9.69x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 1.32x
Falkirk 6 8.22x
Middlesbrough 6 5.50x
North Leith 6 11.44x
Perth East Church 6 16.76x
Tibbermore 6 110.29x
Abercorn 5 198.41x
Cameron 5 171.82x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 3.14x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 17.34x
Kilcalmonell 5 93.81x
Leeds 5 1.06x
Maryhill 5 9.34x
New Monkland 5 6.18x
Norwich St Etheldred 5 271.74x
Paisley Low Church 5 24.10x
Stirling 5 12.71x
Tarland 5 147.06x
Barrow In Furness 4 2.93x
Bathgate 4 14.47x
Bromley London 4 2.15x
Burntisland 4 28.57x
Dalserf 4 14.66x
Delting 4 82.30x
Jesmond 4 22.59x
Paisley High Church 4 7.67x
South Blyth Newsham 4 161.94x
Walton On Hill 4 7.36x
Beath 3 18.96x
Cardross 3 10.99x
Chirton 3 10.53x
Derby St Werburgh 3 3.92x
Inverkeithing 3 39.79x
Kilmalcolm 3 38.22x
Kingarth 3 81.52x
Lanark 3 13.63x
Livingstone 3 68.97x
Mile End Old Town London 3 1.67x
Stewarton 3 23.96x
Redgorton 2 47.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Boag surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 17
Jane 12
Elizabeth 8
Margaret 8
Ann 6
Eliza 6
Sarah 6
Annie 5
Ellen 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 3
Agnes 2
Barbara 2
Eliz. 2
Emma 2
Eveline 2
Hannah 2
Henrietta 2
Margret 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Sophia 2
Susanna 2
Alice 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elenor 1
Elizab. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Geraldine 1
Helen 1
Isabell 1
Jean 1
Johanna 1
Josephine 1
Kate 1
Kattie 1
Lilian 1
Lizzy 1
Louisa 1
Lula 1
Margt. 1
Marguerite 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Boag surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 20
William 15
George 10
James 8
Robert 6
Thomas 6
Charles 5
Henry 5
Alexander 4
Hugh 4
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Jno. 2
Ambrose 1
Arthur 1
Auther 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jeremiah 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Stenhouse 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Boag surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boag surname in 1881?

In 1881, 872 people were recorded with the Boag surname. That placed it at #4,350 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boag surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 964 in 2016. That gives Boag a modern rank of #5,964.

What does the Boag surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin referring to someone who lived near a marshy area.

What does the Boag map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Boag bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.