Explore the Family Name Boehm

The meaning of Boehm

German (mainly Böhm) and Jewish (Ashkenazic; also Böhm): ethnic or habitational name for a native or inhabitant of Bohemia (now the western part of Czechia), from Böhmen, German name of Bohemia (Middle High German Böheim, Bēheim). This derives its name from the tribal name Baii + heim ‘homeland’. The Baii were a tribe, probably Celtic-speaking, who inhabited the region in the 1st century ad and were gradually displaced by Slavic settlers in the period up to the 5th century. The same tribe also gave their name to Bavaria (see Bayer). Bohemia was an independent Slavic kingdom from the 7th century to 1526, when it fell to the Habsburgs. In 1627 it was formally declared a Habsburg Crown Land, and by the Treaty of Versailles it became a province of the newly formed Czechoslovakia in 1919. The surname in the form Boehm is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Bame, Beahm, Behm, Bihm, and Bohm. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Hans, Otto, Fritz, Gerhard, Horst, Bernd, Dieter, Helmut, Wolfgang, Erwin, Guenter.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Boehm has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Boehm was ranked as the 3103rd most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 3340th position, marking a decrease of 7.64 percent. However, in terms of absolute numbers, the count of individuals with the Boehm surname increased slightly from 10,717 in 2000 to 10,730 in 2010, a nominal growth of 0.12 percent. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people also decreased from 3.97 in 2000 to 3.64 in 2010, representing an 8.31 percent drop.

20002010Change
Rank#3,103#3,340-7.64%
Count10,71710,7300.12%
Proportion per 100k3.973.64-8.31%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Boehm

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Boehm surname. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or More Races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native. The largest increase was among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose by 84.26 percent, followed by those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, with an increase of 69.70 percent. On the other hand, the percentage of individuals with the Boehm surname who identify as White saw a slight decrease, from 97.49 percent in 2000 to 95.81 percent in 2010.

20002010Change
White97.49%95.81%-1.72%
Hispanic1.08%1.99%84.26%
Two or More Races0.75%1.11%48%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.33%0.56%69.7%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.21%0.3%42.86%
Black0.15%0.24%60%

Boehm 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 Boehm is French & German, which comprises 38.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.5%) and Eastern European (9.8%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German38.5%
British & Irish32.5%
Eastern European9.8%
Other19.2%
Boehm

Possible origins of the surname Boehm

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 Boehm have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom72.20%
West Midlands, United Kingdom72.20%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom72.20%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom71.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom71.80%

What Boehm 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 Boehm is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-V13 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wagoner, Schmidt, Mayer, Hofmann, Wagner, Hoffman, Muller, Keller, Mueller, Beyer.

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

boehmPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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 Boehm 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

Boehm

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Boehm" Surname 49.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Boehm

Misophonia

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

"Boehm" Surname 23.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Boehm

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Boehm" Surname 20.1%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Boehm

Migraine

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

"Boehm" Surname 17.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Boehm?

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 Boehm 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

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%