NameCensus.

UK surname

Boom

A surname potentially originating from the Dutch word for "tree".

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Boom surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, up from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edmonton, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Ealing and North East Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boom is 248 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 105.6%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

1891

248 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boom had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 248 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Boom surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boom surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boom 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 248 #12,849
1901 historical 136 #19,110
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 144 #22,221
1999 modern 149 #21,924
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 146 #21,857
2002 modern 146 #22,302
2003 modern 150 #21,669
2004 modern 144 #22,379
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 157 #22,271
2010 modern 165 #22,026
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 196 #19,790
2014 modern 205 #19,375
2015 modern 208 #19,085
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Booms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edmonton, London parishes, Lambeth and Hawkinge, Folkestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Ealing, North East Lincolnshire, Southend-on-Sea and Brentwood. 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 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Hawkinge, Folkestone Kent
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 071 Leeds
2 Ealing 029 Ealing
3 North East Lincolnshire 023 North East Lincolnshire
4 Southend-on-Sea 009 Southend-on-Sea
5 Brentwood 007 Brentwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boom

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boom

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Boom surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Boom household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Boom is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Boom is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boom 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 Boom is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Boom

The surname "BOOM" has its origins in the Netherlands, where it first emerged in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "boom," which means "tree" or "beam." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent tree or forest, or who worked with wood or timber.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BOOM" can be found in the Dutch province of Friesland, where a man named Pieter Boom was mentioned in a local record from 1487. The name also appeared in various town and village records throughout the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries, often spelled as "Bome" or "Boome."

During the Dutch Golden Age, when the Netherlands was a major maritime and trading power, the surname "BOOM" spread to other parts of Europe and the Americas. In the 17th century, a family of Dutch immigrants named Boom settled in the colony of New Netherland, which later became part of New York. One of their descendants, Andries Boom (1685-1762), was a prominent landowner and businessman in what is now Brooklyn.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Boom family migrated from the Netherlands to South Africa, where they became influential farmers and landowners. One notable member of this family was Jan Boom (1751-1823), a wealthy farmer and soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.

Another notable bearer of the surname "BOOM" was Jan Hendrik Boom (1805-1876), a Dutch artist and painter who was known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting everyday life in the Netherlands.

In the 19th century, the surname "BOOM" also became established in Germany, where it was sometimes spelled as "Bohm" or "Böhm." One of the most famous Germans with this name was Karl Böhm (1894-1981), a renowned conductor and director of the Vienna State Opera.

Throughout its history, the surname "BOOM" has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from artists and musicians to farmers, soldiers, and businessmen. While it originated in the Netherlands, it has since spread to many corners of the world, reflecting the global reach of Dutch culture and migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boom families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boom 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. Surrey leads with 23 Booms recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.52x.

County Total Index
Surrey 23 4.52x
Middlesex 18 1.72x
Yorkshire 15 1.45x
Dorset 10 14.60x
Kent 9 2.53x
Buckinghamshire 6 9.51x
Norfolk 5 3.12x
Derbyshire 4 2.45x
Devon 4 1.84x
Hertfordshire 4 5.56x
Hampshire 2 0.94x
Northumberland 2 1.29x
Durham 1 0.32x
Lanarkshire 1 0.30x
Shropshire 1 1.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.38x
Worcestershire 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holbeck in Yorkshire leads with 11 Booms recorded in 1881 and an index of 160.58x.

Place Total Index
Holbeck 11 160.58x
Broadwinsor 9 2000.00x
St Pancras London 8 9.52x
Lambeth 6 6.59x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 28.57x
Bradwell 5 561.80x
Woolwich 5 38.02x
Alfreton 4 80.65x
Kingston On Thames 4 32.76x
Newington 4 10.38x
Great Walsingham 3 1875.00x
Kensington London 3 5.17x
Northam 3 189.87x
St Marylebone London 3 5.39x
Thundridge 3 1764.71x
Camberwell 2 3.00x
St George Bloomsbury 2 33.39x
Sutton 2 169.49x
Tynemouth 2 24.07x
West Malling 2 250.00x
Abbotsham 1 588.24x
Armley 1 21.93x
Battersea 1 2.60x
Birmingham 1 1.14x
Blantyre 1 28.49x
Christchurch 1 21.55x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.64x
Dudley 1 6.04x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 4.76x
Hatfield 1 68.49x
Little Walsingham 1 277.78x
Margate St John Baptist 1 15.34x
N Lydbury 1 285.71x
North Walsham 1 86.21x
Paddington London 1 2.61x
Portsea 1 2.39x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.44x
Tarrant Keynston 1 1000.00x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 39.84x
Westoe 1 5.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 8
William 6
James 5
Edward 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Walter 2
Aaron 1
Abraham 1
Aurther 1
Bernard 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Howard 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Jousha 1
Leonard 1
Samuel 1
Ustace 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Boom surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boom surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Boom surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boom surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Boom a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Boom surname mean?

A surname potentially originating from the Dutch word for "tree".

What does the Boom map show?

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