NameCensus.

UK surname

Boner

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person with a good-natured, amusing, or foolish character.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Boner surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 217, ranked #18,535, up from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, Rudgwick and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Sefton and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boner is 247 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.7%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

217

2016, ranked #18,535

Peak year

1861

247 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boner had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016, ranked #18,535.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 247 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Boner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boner surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Boner 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 156 #12,552
1861 historical 247 #9,977
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 165 #17,143
1901 historical 103 #22,444
1911 historical 50 #27,806
1997 modern 199 #17,668
1998 modern 206 #17,796
1999 modern 206 #17,905
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 195 #18,215
2002 modern 201 #18,236
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 191 #18,723
2005 modern 197 #18,339
2006 modern 212 #17,612
2007 modern 215 #17,633
2008 modern 214 #17,854
2009 modern 215 #18,179
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 218 #18,206
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 205 #19,218
2014 modern 210 #19,064
2015 modern 211 #18,906
2016 modern 217 #18,535

Geography

Back to top

Where Boners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, Rudgwick, London parishes, St Pancras and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Sefton, Liverpool, Muirton and Halton. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 Rudgwick Sussex
3 London parishes London 1
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
2 Sefton 034 Sefton
3 Liverpool 030 Liverpool
4 Muirton Perth and Kinross
5 Halton 008 Halton

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Boner

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Boner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boner, 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 Boner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Boner 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Boner is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Boner is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boner 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 Boner is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Boner

The surname Boner has its origins in medieval England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bān" meaning "bone." This could refer to an occupation or a person's physical characteristic, such as being thin or bony.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest known mentions is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard le Bonor.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in different spellings such as Bonour, Bonor, and Boneour. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

The Boner surname is also found in some early English place names, such as Boner's Green in Essex and Boner's Lane in Hertfordshire. These place names may have been derived from the surname itself or vice versa.

Notable individuals with the surname Boner include John Boner, a 15th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1448 to 1453. Another prominent figure was Arnold Boner, a 16th-century Swiss diplomat and humanist scholar who played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation.

In the 17th century, William Boner, a Scottish surveyor and cartographer, was known for his detailed maps of various regions in Scotland. Later, in the 19th century, John Boner, an American poet and journalist, gained recognition for his works celebrating the beauty of the American West.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Gertrude Boner, a 20th-century American artist and writer who was influential in promoting South Asian art and culture. Her book "Rāja Ravi Varma: The Painter of Colonial India" is considered a seminal work on the renowned Indian artist.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Boner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boner 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. Middlesex leads with 16 Boners recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.59x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 16 1.59x
Lanarkshire 15 4.62x
Sussex 10 5.90x
Aberdeenshire 8 8.60x
Yorkshire 8 0.80x
West Lothian 7 46.27x
Essex 6 3.03x
Renfrewshire 6 7.71x
Durham 4 1.34x
Lancashire 4 0.34x
Angus 3 3.22x
Hampshire 3 1.46x
Surrey 3 0.61x
Glamorgan 2 1.14x
Merionethshire 2 10.88x
Suffolk 2 1.63x
Berkshire 1 1.33x
Derbyshire 1 0.64x
Northumberland 1 0.67x
Peeblesshire 1 21.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 11 Boners recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.07x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 11 19.07x
Bathgate 7 213.41x
Old Deer 7 397.73x
Rudgwick 7 1794.87x
East Ham 5 135.87x
Renfrew 5 194.55x
Mile End Old Town London 4 18.71x
Hove 3 40.38x
Limehouse London 3 27.20x
Lockwood 3 83.80x
Aldershot 2 28.99x
Doncaster 2 27.51x
Fulham London 2 13.73x
Lambeth 2 2.28x
Newmarket St Mary 2 212.77x
Poplar London 2 10.55x
Stranton 2 19.88x
Swansea St Thomas 2 113.64x
Trawsfynydd 2 303.03x
Wath On Dearne 2 100.50x
Whitechapel London 2 20.20x
Abbey 1 8.42x
Austwick 1 625.00x
Barony 1 1.22x
Benwell 1 61.35x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 10.56x
Camberwell 1 1.56x
Clerkenwell London 1 4.22x
Clewer 1 32.36x
Dundee 1 2.88x
Govan 1 1.24x
Great Bolton 1 6.33x
Hamilton 1 11.04x
Holdenhurst 1 18.52x
Innerleithen 1 80.00x
Kensington London 1 1.79x
Lanark 1 38.31x
Liff Benvie 1 7.08x
Matlock 1 47.39x
Montrose 1 17.73x
Paddington London 1 2.71x
Stockton On Tees 1 6.94x
Stretford 1 15.24x
Strichen 1 123.46x
Tunstall 1 67.11x
West Derby 1 2.87x
West Ham 1 2.28x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Thomas 3
Edward 2
George 2
James 2
Samuel 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Cogural 1
Daniel 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Tomulanc 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Boner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Boner surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 217 in 2016. That gives Boner a modern rank of #18,535.

What does the Boner surname mean?

A nickname-derived surname referring to a person with a good-natured, amusing, or foolish character.

What does the Boner map show?

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