Explore the Family Name Bobo

The meaning of Bobo

1. Americanized form of French Baubeau or Beaubeau: nickname derived from Old French baube ‘stutterer, stammerer’, from Latin balbus ‘stammering’. 2. Americanized form of French Bourbeau. 3. Spanish: nickname from bobo ‘fool’, from Latin balbus ‘stammering’. This surname is also found in southern France (Pyrénées-Orientales). 4. Hungarian (Bobó): from the old personal name Bobó. History: Gabriel Baubeau (or Beaubeau) from Saint-Sauvant in Vienne, France, married Elizabeth Spencer (widowed White) in King William, VA, in 1703. He is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (as Gabriel Bobo or Baubeau or Beaubeau or Bodeau).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bobo in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Bobo" saw a slight decrease in rank from 3686 in 2000 to 3828 in 2010, marking a change of -3.85. However, the count of individuals with the Bobo surname increased by 4.59%, growing from 8848 in 2000 to 9254 in 2010. Despite the increase in count, the proportion per 100,000 decreased by -4.27 from 3.28 in 2000 to 3.14 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#3,686#3,828-3.85%
Count8,8489,2544.59%
Proportion per 100k3.283.14-4.27%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bobo

When it comes to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the largest ethnic group among those with the Bobo surname remained White, though its percentage dropped slightly from 59.04% in 2000 to 56.95% in 2010. The second most common ethnic identity is Black, which showed a small growth from 36.43% in 2000 to 37.41% in 2010. The representation of Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races also increased significantly over the decade, with increases of 33.90% and 48.59% respectively. On the other hand, the Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations remained mostly stable, with minimal changes in their percentages.

20002010Change
White59.04%56.95%-3.54%
Black36.43%37.41%2.69%
Two or More Races1.77%2.63%48.59%
Hispanic1.68%1.66%-1.19%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.59%0.79%33.9%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.49%0.56%14.29%

Bobo ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bobo is British & Irish, which comprises 59.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.2%) and Nigerian (5.8%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Italian, Angolan & Congolese, and Spanish & Portuguese.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish59.2%
French & German17.2%
Nigerian5.8%
Other17.8%
Bobo

Possible origins of the surname Bobo

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bobo have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom85.50%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom85.50%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom85.50%
West Midlands, United Kingdom85.50%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom85.50%

What Bobo haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bobo is R-Z30, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z30 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-FGC15710 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mize, Wickham, Pease, Harbaugh, Beecher, Duckett, Baxley, Rohrer, Torrey, Cosby.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bobo surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

boboPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bobo have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bobo

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bobo" Surname 36.8%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bobo

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bobo" Surname 27.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bobo

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bobo" Surname 20.8%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bobo

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bobo" Surname 16.9%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bobo?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bobo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%