NameCensus.

UK surname

Boyes

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows or a bow-maker's servant.

In the 1881 census there were 3,132 people recorded with the Boyes surname, ranking it #1,439 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,895, ranked #1,737, down from #1,439 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bradford and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Redcar and Cleveland and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boyes is 4,202 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.4%.

1881 census count

3,132

Ranked #1,439

Modern count

3,895

2016, ranked #1,737

Peak year

1901

4,202 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boyes had 3,132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,439 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,895 in 2016, ranked #1,737.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,202 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Boyes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boyes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boyes 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 1,726 #1,674
1861 historical 1,951 #1,496
1881 historical 3,132 #1,439
1891 historical 3,483 #1,367
1901 historical 4,202 #1,338
1911 historical 3,994 #1,278
1997 modern 4,050 #1,596
1998 modern 4,113 #1,641
1999 modern 4,169 #1,632
2000 modern 4,137 #1,636
2001 modern 4,055 #1,635
2002 modern 4,109 #1,649
2003 modern 4,022 #1,643
2004 modern 3,989 #1,657
2005 modern 3,945 #1,648
2006 modern 3,934 #1,655
2007 modern 3,959 #1,664
2008 modern 3,940 #1,682
2009 modern 4,056 #1,674
2010 modern 4,099 #1,691
2011 modern 4,016 #1,710
2012 modern 3,926 #1,716
2013 modern 3,990 #1,715
2014 modern 4,012 #1,723
2015 modern 3,934 #1,729
2016 modern 3,895 #1,737

Geography

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Where Boyes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bradford, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles, Scarborough and Sculcoates. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Redcar and Cleveland and Scarborough. 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 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Sculcoates Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
2 Redcar and Cleveland 018 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Ryedale 002 Ryedale
4 Scarborough 001 Scarborough
5 Scarborough 004 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boyes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boyes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boyes, 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 Boyes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boyes 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, Boyes 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

Boyes 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

Boyes falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Boyes

The surname Boyes originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bois," meaning "wood" or "forest," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Boyes surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "de Bois." This early spelling variation highlights the name's French roots and its association with wooded areas.

The Boyes name was also documented in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it was recorded as "Boys." This spelling variation further illustrates the name's evolution over time.

During the 13th century, a notable individual named William de Boyes was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1285. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in northern England during that period.

In the 14th century, the Boyes surname made an appearance in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, recorded as "Boyes." This entry suggests that the name had spread to other regions of England by that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Boyes surname in Scotland can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "de Boys." This document recorded individuals who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England.

Notably, a prominent figure named Sir John Boyes (c. 1440-1504) was a distinguished English soldier and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a Standard Bearer for King Henry VII and was knighted for his military service during the Battle of Stoke in 1487.

Another significant individual with the Boyes surname was John Boyes (1609-1679), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Boxworth in Cambridgeshire. He was known for his religious writings, including "An Exposition of the Lord's Prayer" and "An Exposition of the Ten Commandments."

In the 18th century, William Boyes (1724-1779) was a notable English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Durham, including the Prebend's Bridge and the County Court buildings.

During the 19th century, John Boyes (1811-1859) was a prominent English engineer and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical method for producing waterproof fabrics, a process known as the "Boyes Process."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boyes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boyes 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,407 Boyes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.65x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,407 4.65x
Lancashire 274 0.76x
Hampshire 185 2.96x
Dumfriesshire 141 20.91x
Middlesex 112 0.37x
Warwickshire 89 1.16x
Lanarkshire 88 0.89x
Surrey 82 0.55x
Durham 80 0.88x
Aberdeenshire 54 1.91x
Sussex 54 1.05x
Northamptonshire 43 1.50x
Kent 38 0.36x
Ayrshire 36 1.58x
Leicestershire 35 1.03x
Wigtownshire 29 7.15x
Devon 27 0.42x
Lincolnshire 27 0.55x
Midlothian 26 0.64x
Gloucestershire 24 0.40x
Hertfordshire 20 0.95x
Berkshire 19 0.83x
Kirkcudbrightshire 19 4.30x
Cheshire 17 0.25x
Derbyshire 17 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.36x
Northumberland 13 0.29x
Wiltshire 12 0.44x
Cumberland 11 0.42x
Essex 11 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 11 1.13x
Staffordshire 11 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.54x
Kincardineshire 8 2.15x
Norfolk 8 0.17x
Banffshire 6 0.95x
Dorset 6 0.30x
Glamorgan 6 0.11x
Oxfordshire 6 0.32x
Stirlingshire 6 0.53x
Bedfordshire 5 0.32x
Denbighshire 5 0.43x
Fife 5 0.28x
Renfrewshire 5 0.21x
Somerset 5 0.10x
Angus 4 0.14x
Perthshire 4 0.29x
Argyllshire 2 0.24x
Buteshire 2 1.08x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.10x
Herefordshire 2 0.16x
Royal Navy 2 0.55x
Worcestershire 2 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.14x
Rutland 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 93 Boyes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.44x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 93 5.44x
Bradford 52 7.10x
Scarborough 46 16.73x
North Bierley 45 27.55x
Camberwell 38 1.95x
Horton In Bradford 38 8.04x
Bishopstoke 37 230.39x
Bowling 37 12.35x
Gomersal 33 23.37x
Wortley In Bramley 33 13.77x
Millbrook 32 20.30x
Holy Trinity 28 3.85x
Manningham 28 7.51x
Pickering 28 73.49x
Bishopwearmouth 26 3.33x
Whitby 26 25.50x
Eling 23 36.28x
Morley 23 14.62x
Lochmaben 22 74.42x
Settrington 22 379.31x
Langton 21 769.23x
Mellor 21 183.09x
Blackburn 19 1.97x
Harome 19 413.94x
Hunsworth 19 119.65x
Torthorwald 19 183.40x
Whithorn 19 61.51x
Aston 18 0.85x
Glasgow 18 1.03x
Shoreditch London 18 1.36x
Carluke 17 18.96x
Newton In Pickering 17 658.91x
Brafield On Green 16 284.70x
Brighton 16 1.54x
Helmsley 16 98.64x
New Malton 16 44.24x
Peterhead 16 10.70x
Westerham 16 66.58x
Wombleton 16 521.17x
Hambledon 15 71.06x
Normanby In 15 18.55x
Norton In Malton 15 40.91x
Old Malton 15 78.86x
Humberstone 14 50.34x
Ruswarp 14 41.60x
Slingsby 14 224.36x
Beverley St Martin 13 25.74x
Beverley St Nicholas 13 52.40x
Dalrymple 13 90.78x
Dukinfield 13 4.17x
Everton 13 1.13x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 13 52.95x
Skelton In Guisbrough 13 15.88x
Southampton St Mary 13 3.30x
Stranton 13 4.25x
Toxteth Park 13 1.06x
Wyke In Bradford 13 24.03x
Broughton In Salford 12 3.62x
Dumfries 12 18.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 0.73x
Flamborough 12 81.91x
Kirby Under Dale 12 384.62x
Lesmahagow 12 11.49x
Longside 12 35.53x
Lythe 12 99.59x
Chorlton On Medlock 11 1.91x
Colne 11 10.19x
Holbeck 11 5.49x
Kensington London 11 0.65x
Kirkmahoe 11 84.03x
Warwick St Mary 11 16.45x
Weaverthorpe 11 163.45x
Bothwell 10 3.73x
Chippenham 10 17.66x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 5.13x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 2.54x
Liverpool 10 0.45x
Middlebie 10 49.43x
Rugby 10 9.60x
Sheffield 10 1.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 190
William 187
George 92
Thomas 81
James 55
Joseph 54
Henry 44
Robert 42
Edward 39
Richard 33
Arthur 30
Charles 28
Alfred 26
Harry 18
Francis 17
Walter 17
Fred 13
Samuel 13
Tom 13
Frank 12
Frederick 12
Herbert 12
Wm. 12
Albert 11
David 11
Edwin 10
Ernest 9
Isaac 8
Abraham 7
Benjamin 7
Stephen 7
Matthew 6
Chas. 4
Fred. 4
Harrison 4
Johnson 4
Peter 4
Robt. 4
Thos. 4
Alexander 3
Daniel 3
Elkanah 3
Harold 3
Luke 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Mary 2
Owen 2
Ralph 2
Zachariah 2

FAQ

Boyes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boyes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,132 people were recorded with the Boyes surname. That placed it at #1,439 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boyes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,895 in 2016. That gives Boyes a modern rank of #1,737.

What does the Boyes surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of bows or a bow-maker's servant.

What does the Boyes map show?

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