NameCensus.

UK surname

Boon

A surname of French origin meaning "good" or referring to someone who was a blessing to others.

In the 1881 census there were 2,786 people recorded with the Boon surname, ranking it #1,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,782, ranked #1,783, down from #1,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Gretton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boon is 4,157 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.8%.

1881 census count

2,786

Ranked #1,602

Modern count

3,782

2016, ranked #1,783

Peak year

1999

4,157 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boon had 2,786 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,782 in 2016, ranked #1,783.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,945 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Boon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Boon 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 1,958 #1,480
1861 historical 1,748 #1,649
1881 historical 2,786 #1,602
1891 historical 2,878 #1,648
1901 historical 3,599 #1,556
1911 historical 3,945 #1,298
1997 modern 3,763 #1,728
1998 modern 4,063 #1,660
1999 modern 4,157 #1,637
2000 modern 4,119 #1,649
2001 modern 3,991 #1,657
2002 modern 4,053 #1,667
2003 modern 3,972 #1,670
2004 modern 3,914 #1,696
2005 modern 3,785 #1,729
2006 modern 3,761 #1,744
2007 modern 3,783 #1,744
2008 modern 3,773 #1,760
2009 modern 3,880 #1,755
2010 modern 3,940 #1,766
2011 modern 3,888 #1,763
2012 modern 3,808 #1,764
2013 modern 3,877 #1,766
2014 modern 3,865 #1,780
2015 modern 3,804 #1,787
2016 modern 3,782 #1,783

Geography

Back to top

Where Boons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Gretton and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Staffordshire Moorlands, Cheshire East and Wiltshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gretton Rutland
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 006 Fenland
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 014 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
5 Wiltshire 047 Wiltshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Boon

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Boon

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Boon surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boon 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Boon 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

Boon is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Boon falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Boon 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 Boon, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Boon

The surname BOON is of ancient Scandinavian origin, derived from the Old Norse word "bún" meaning "a temporary dwelling or shelter". It first emerged in the early medieval period, particularly in parts of northern England and Scotland that were influenced by Norse settlers and Vikings.

BOON is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive name for individuals who lived in such temporary dwellings or shelters, likely referring to those who led a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. Over time, it evolved into a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BOON surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Godric Bun, whose name could be an early variant of the BOON surname.

In the 13th century, the BOON surname was also found in various medieval records and charters, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which list a person named Willelmus Bun. Another early example is Thomas Bune, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

During the late medieval and early modern periods, the BOON surname spread across various regions of the British Isles, with varying spellings like Boone, Boun, and Boyn appearing in different areas. One notable individual was Sir Thomas Boone (c. 1575-1645), an English politician and landowner from Worcestershire.

In Scotland, the BOON surname has a long history, with notable figures such as Andrew Boon (c. 1585-1653), a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh. Another prominent Scot was James Boon (1717-1792), a philosopher and professor at Marischal College in Aberdeen.

In the Americas, the BOON surname gained prominence with individuals like Daniel Boone (1734-1820), the legendary American pioneer and frontiersman who explored and helped settle the Appalachian wilderness. Another notable American was Levi Parsons Boon (1808-1892), a politician and lawyer from Indiana.

Throughout its history, the BOON surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Boon Hill in Wiltshire, England, and Boonville, a city in Missouri, United States, named after the Boone family.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Boon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boon 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 270 Boons recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 270 0.99x
Staffordshire 265 2.87x
Lancashire 239 0.74x
Devon 225 3.95x
Suffolk 181 5.43x
Cheshire 161 2.66x
Somerset 152 3.45x
Surrey 137 1.03x
Northamptonshire 133 5.17x
Norfolk 117 2.78x
Sussex 99 2.15x
Yorkshire 99 0.37x
Gloucestershire 79 1.47x
Cambridgeshire 70 4.04x
Kent 60 0.64x
Buckinghamshire 52 3.14x
Dorset 51 2.84x
Essex 48 0.89x
Bedfordshire 32 2.26x
Warwickshire 32 0.46x
Hertfordshire 30 1.59x
Ayrshire 27 1.32x
Lincolnshire 25 0.57x
Huntingdonshire 24 4.42x
Hampshire 22 0.39x
Monmouthshire 15 0.76x
Cornwall 14 0.45x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.38x
Glamorgan 13 0.27x
Channel Islands 12 1.48x
Midlothian 11 0.30x
Durham 9 0.11x
Northumberland 9 0.22x
Wiltshire 9 0.37x
Lanarkshire 8 0.09x
Perthshire 8 0.65x
Fife 7 0.43x
Shropshire 7 0.30x
Worcestershire 7 0.20x
Derbyshire 6 0.14x
Leicestershire 6 0.20x
Royal Navy 6 1.84x
Oxfordshire 4 0.24x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.46x
Renfrewshire 3 0.14x
Berkshire 2 0.10x
Denbighshire 1 0.10x
Herefordshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 65 Boons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.63x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 65 6.63x
Ashton In Makerfield 44 47.57x
Gretton 44 562.66x
Lambeth 42 1.76x
Peterborough 35 18.78x
St Pancras London 35 1.59x
Brighton 32 3.44x
Pettistree 32 1240.31x
Tottenhill 28 813.95x
Plymouth St Andrew 27 6.15x
Wolstanton 27 9.62x
Biddulph 26 49.88x
Congleton 26 24.90x
Plymouth Charles The 26 10.36x
Shoreditch London 26 2.19x
Battersea 25 2.48x
Bedminster 22 5.31x
Fordham 22 196.43x
Kensington London 21 1.38x
Ashton Under Lyne 20 2.82x
Tiverton 20 20.38x
Islington London 19 0.72x
Liverpool 18 0.91x
Tormoham 18 7.47x
Ramsey 17 39.07x
Barrow In Furness 15 3.40x
Beaminster 15 75.11x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 15 2.97x
Hammersmith London 15 2.22x
Odd Rode 15 50.12x
St Marylebone London 15 1.03x
Stafford St Mary 15 11.47x
Swynnerton 15 206.04x
Walpole St Andrew 15 228.31x
Broadwater 14 13.23x
Elton 14 12.48x
Hackney London 14 0.91x
Hatfield 14 36.60x
West Ham 14 1.17x
Burslem 13 4.91x
Camberwell 13 0.74x
Ipswich St Margaret 13 11.49x
Monkton Prestwick 13 65.20x
Rushton Spencer 13 406.25x
Salford 13 628.02x
Appledore 12 197.04x
Bristol St James St Paul 12 6.70x
Coventry Holy Trinity 12 5.82x
Hove 12 5.93x
Manchester 12 0.82x
Wooburn 12 52.61x
Aston 11 0.58x
Gillingham 11 260.66x
Gorton 11 3.60x
Pendleton In Salford 11 2.84x
Rushton James 11 440.00x
Salford 11 1.15x
Sherington 11 194.35x
St Giles In Fields London 11 8.19x
St Luke London 11 2.51x
St Peter Port 11 7.33x
Tilney St Lawrence 11 162.48x
Woodbridge 11 25.81x
Berrow 10 241.55x
Bethnal Green London 10 0.84x
Blackden 10 751.88x
Bredbury 10 28.60x
Gunton 10 1219.51x
Ipswich St Mathew 10 10.70x
Levenshulme 10 29.91x
Newport Pagnell 10 28.90x
Pownall Fee 10 37.00x
St Anne Soho London 10 6.40x
St Woollos 10 4.53x
Staverton 10 142.86x
Stoke Damerel 10 2.51x
Stoke Under Hambdon 10 69.16x
Sutton 10 188.32x
Tavistock 10 15.41x
Nottingham St Mary 9 0.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 157
Elizabeth 116
Sarah 104
Ann 51
Eliza 51
Emma 51
Jane 51
Alice 50
Emily 50
Ellen 45
Annie 29
Louisa 29
Hannah 26
Harriet 21
Martha 21
Caroline 20
Florence 20
Maria 20
Fanny 19
Edith 18
Susan 18
Charlotte 17
Margaret 17
Catherine 15
Ada 13
Anne 12
Frances 12
Kate 12
Lucy 12
Amelia 11
Harriett 10
Rebecca 10
Agnes 9
Rachel 8
Ethel 7
Lydia 7
Matilda 7
Minnie 7
Clara 6
Elizth. 6
Gertrude 6
Ruth 6
Betsy 5
Esther 5
Julia 5
Kezia 5
Laura 5
Rosa 5
Rose 5
Rhoda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 177
William 163
James 97
George 95
Thomas 74
Charles 61
Henry 48
Joseph 38
Alfred 37
Edward 31
Robert 31
Richard 30
Arthur 28
Frederick 28
Samuel 28
Walter 22
Albert 18
Herbert 14
David 13
Harry 11
Peter 10
Earnest 9
Edwin 9
Ernest 9
Francis 8
Frank 8
Isaac 8
Jonathan 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Cornelius 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
Geo. 4
Philip 4
Sidney 4
Abraham 3
Elijah 3
Frederic 3
Fredrick 3
Reuben 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Christ. 2
Daniel 2
Job 2
Josiah 2
Mathew 2
Nicholas 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Boon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,786 people were recorded with the Boon surname. That placed it at #1,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,782 in 2016. That gives Boon a modern rank of #1,783.

What does the Boon surname mean?

A surname of French origin meaning "good" or referring to someone who was a blessing to others.

What does the Boon map show?

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