NameCensus.

UK surname

Boles

A topographical surname referring to someone who lived by a bowl-shaped hollow or small valley.

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Boles surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 380, ranked #12,346, up from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Calder and Polbeth, Amber Valley and Braes Villages.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boles is 392 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 136.0%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

380

2016, ranked #12,346

Peak year

1998

392 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boles had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 380 in 2016, ranked #12,346.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 180 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Boles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boles surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Boles 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 135 #13,964
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 157 #17,577
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 372 #11,621
1998 modern 392 #11,512
1999 modern 389 #11,678
2000 modern 373 #11,996
2001 modern 358 #12,181
2002 modern 355 #12,471
2003 modern 343 #12,607
2004 modern 343 #12,616
2005 modern 341 #12,605
2006 modern 341 #12,684
2007 modern 350 #12,600
2008 modern 356 #12,534
2009 modern 363 #12,602
2010 modern 366 #12,800
2011 modern 364 #12,713
2012 modern 367 #12,499
2013 modern 360 #12,890
2014 modern 365 #12,853
2015 modern 369 #12,627
2016 modern 380 #12,346

Geography

Back to top

Where Boles' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool, Hatherleigh and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Calder and Polbeth, Amber Valley, Braes Villages and West Devon. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Hatherleigh Devon
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian
2 Amber Valley 011 Amber Valley
3 Braes Villages Falkirk
4 Amber Valley 006 Amber Valley
5 West Devon 001 West Devon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Boles

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Boles

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Boles surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Boles household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Boles is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boles 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

Boles falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boles is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Boles

The surname Boles has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "boll," which referred to a round or spherical object, such as a bowl or a bell-shaped vessel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Bolle." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was associated with bowls or a similar round object.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Bole," "Bolle," and "Bolles," in records from counties such as Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This indicates that the name was well-established in these regions during this period.

The Boles surname is also found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name may have been present in England even before the Norman Conquest.

One notable figure in history with the surname Boles was John Boles, a 15th-century English scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1454 to 1459.

Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Boles, a 16th-century English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1558 and 1559.

In the 17th century, the surname Boles was associated with several place names, including Boles Green in Gloucestershire and Boles Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names may have derived from the surname or vice versa, further solidifying the name's ties to these regions.

One notable figure from this period was Thomas Boles, a 17th-century English theologian and author who wrote several works on religious subjects, including "The Spiritual Guide" and "The Summe of the Christian Religion."

In the 18th century, the Boles surname continued to be prominent in England, with individuals such as John Boles (1688-1757), a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and William Boles (1715-1789), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

Throughout the 19th century, the Boles surname spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of emigration from England. One notable individual from this period was Edward Boles (1805-1876), a Canadian politician who served as the Premier of New Brunswick from 1870 to 1872.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Boles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boles 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. Devon leads with 26 Boles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.95x.

County Total Index
Devon 26 7.95x
Lanarkshire 22 4.33x
Lancashire 22 1.18x
Renfrewshire 17 13.97x
Middlesex 14 0.89x
Yorkshire 14 0.90x
Surrey 7 0.91x
Glamorgan 5 1.83x
Midlothian 5 2.38x
Shropshire 5 3.68x
Somerset 5 1.98x
Cheshire 3 0.87x
Hampshire 3 0.93x
Kent 3 0.56x
Staffordshire 3 0.57x
Durham 2 0.43x
Ayrshire 1 0.85x
Lincolnshire 1 0.40x
Roxburghshire 1 3.51x
Rutland 1 8.67x
Wiltshire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalserf in Lanarkshire leads with 12 Boles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 236.69x.

Place Total Index
Dalserf 12 236.69x
Rutherglen 9 120.81x
Abbey 8 43.08x
Eastwood 8 106.67x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 48.28x
Camberwell 7 6.98x
Hunslet 6 24.72x
Edinburgh Canongate 5 93.46x
Holsworthy 5 543.48x
Pyworthy 5 1851.85x
Salford 5 9.12x
Whitchurch 5 190.11x
Crowcombe 4 1666.67x
Ealing 4 28.49x
Farnworth 4 35.81x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 15.22x
Paignton 4 160.64x
Pendleton In Salford 4 18.02x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 15.89x
Axmouth 3 810.81x
Broughton In Salford 3 17.61x
Islington London 3 1.97x
St Pancras London 3 2.37x
Tipton 3 18.48x
Toxteth Park 3 4.75x
Colyton 2 158.73x
Gateshead 2 5.72x
Hankelow 2 1666.67x
Liverpool 2 1.77x
Southampton St Mary 2 9.88x
St Marylebone London 2 2.39x
Woolwich 2 10.10x
Bideford 1 28.57x
Carluke 1 21.69x
Castleford 1 17.64x
Chard 1 32.68x
Dawlish 1 40.98x
East Greenock 1 8.70x
Frinstead 1 909.09x
Hatherleigh 1 123.46x
Hawick 1 15.70x
Kilmarnock 1 7.15x
Nantwich 1 24.81x
Newton Upon Trent 1 588.24x
Oakham Lordshold 1 82.64x
Poplar London 1 3.37x
Spitalfields London 1 8.47x
St Mary Extra 1 38.61x
Steeple Langford 1 357.14x
West Derby 1 1.83x
Ystradyfodwg 1 4.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 5
Mary 5
Jane 4
Elizabeth 3
Louisa 3
Ada 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Constance 1
Elizath. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Kezia 1
Lena 1
Lily 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Marth 1
Rebecca 1
Selina 1
Viola 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 12
John 11
William 8
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
George 2
Harry 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Dennis 1
Douglas 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Js. 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Boles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Boles surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 380 in 2016. That gives Boles a modern rank of #12,346.

What does the Boles surname mean?

A topographical surname referring to someone who lived by a bowl-shaped hollow or small valley.

What does the Boles map show?

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