NameCensus.

UK surname

Boe

A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an ancestral origin near a curved or arched bridge.

In the 1881 census there were 49 people recorded with the Boe surname, ranking it #26,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 213, ranked #18,785, up from #26,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, Stranraer East and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boe is 213 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 334.7%.

1881 census count

49

Ranked #26,735

Modern count

213

2016, ranked #18,785

Peak year

2016

213 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boe had 49 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016, ranked #18,785.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Boe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boe 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 76 #20,127
1881 historical 49 #26,735
1891 historical 67 #28,424
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1997 modern 170 #19,505
1998 modern 176 #19,584
1999 modern 173 #19,935
2000 modern 160 #20,903
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 163 #20,767
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 157 #21,128
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 181 #19,875
2009 modern 188 #19,797
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 189 #19,997
2012 modern 191 #19,802
2013 modern 198 #19,657
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 205 #19,269
2016 modern 213 #18,785

Geography

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Where Boes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Dumfries and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre, Stranraer East, Neath Port Talbot and Darnley West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dumfries Dumfries
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 001 Wyre
2 Stranraer East Dumfries and Galloway
3 Neath Port Talbot 006 Neath Port Talbot
4 Darnley West Glasgow City
5 Wyre 002 Wyre

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boe, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Boe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boe household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Boe 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

Boe is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boe falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boe is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Boe

The surname Boe is believed to have originated in Norway during the Viking age, between the 8th and 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse word "boer," meaning "farmer" or "dweller." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived or worked on a farm or in a rural area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boe can be found in the Landnámabók, a medieval Icelandic manuscript that documents the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. The manuscript mentions a man named Boe Thorstein, who is said to have settled in the region of Borgarfjörður in western Iceland around the year 900.

During the Middle Ages, the name Boe appears to have spread to other parts of Scandinavia, including Sweden and Denmark. In the 14th century, a Swedish man named Erik Boe is recorded as having served as a member of the royal guard under King Magnus IV.

In the 16th century, the name Boe can be found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands, suggesting that it may have been brought to the region by Scandinavian settlers or traders. One notable individual from this period is the Dutch artist Pieter Boe, who was born in Amsterdam in 1548 and is known for his landscape paintings.

The name Boe also made its way to England, where it can be found in various historical records from the 17th century onwards. In 1637, a man named John Boe is recorded as having been baptized in the parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London.

Other notable individuals with the surname Boe include the Norwegian explorer and writer Jens Boe, who was born in 1830 and is best known for his expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions. The Scottish philosopher and historian David Boe, born in 1795, was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and wrote extensively on the history and culture of Scotland.

In the 20th century, the American author and playwright Charles Boe, who was born in 1905, gained recognition for his works exploring themes of social justice and racial equality. Additionally, the Norwegian physicist and Nobel laureate Ivar Boe, born in 1904, made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and is remembered for his groundbreaking research on radioactivity and atomic structure.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boe 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. Midlothian leads with 34 Boes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.09x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 34 24.09x
Durham 25 7.98x
Lancashire 14 1.12x
Wigtownshire 9 64.33x
Dumfriesshire 8 34.38x
Roxburghshire 6 31.45x
Middlesex 5 0.47x
Northumberland 2 1.28x
Cheshire 1 0.43x
Cumberland 1 1.10x
Fife 1 1.60x
Ross-shire 1 3.46x
Yorkshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 13 Boes recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.90x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 22.90x
Gateshead 12 51.15x
Greencroft 12 2105.26x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 45.32x
Dumfries 8 347.83x
Portpatrick 8 1702.13x
South Leith 8 50.38x
North Leith 7 107.20x
Kelso 6 315.79x
Oldham 4 9.91x
Edinburgh Old Church 3 265.49x
St George In East London 3 30.27x
Liberton 2 91.74x
Westgate 2 20.60x
Altrincham 1 24.63x
Bishop Auckland 1 23.81x
Gairloch 1 59.88x
Kensington London 1 1.71x
Kimberworth 1 17.27x
Leuchars 1 126.58x
Mile End Old Town London 1 4.46x
Preston Quarter 1 39.37x
Stranraer 1 78.13x
Temple 1 178.57x
Withington 1 24.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Ann 3
Margaret 3
Bridget 2
Catherine 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Christena 1
Louisa 1
Mareret 1
Maria 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 5
James 4
Charles 3
Patrick 3
Edward 2
Dennis 1
Francis 1
George 1
Jack 1
John 1
Michael 1
Trueman 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Boe households.

FAQ

Boe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 49 people were recorded with the Boe surname. That placed it at #26,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 213 in 2016. That gives Boe a modern rank of #18,785.

What does the Boe surname mean?

A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an ancestral origin near a curved or arched bridge.

What does the Boe map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Boe 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.