Explore the Family Name Bolen
The meaning of Bolen
1. Swedish (Bolén): ornamental name composed of an unexplained first element (possibly from bo ‘farm’; compare Bolin) + the adjectival suffix -én, a derivative of Latin -enius ‘relating to’. 2. German: variant of Bohlen. 3. English: variant of Bullen. This surname is now rare in Britain. 4. Walloon: variant of Bolin. 5. Polish (Boleń) and Czech: from a pet form of the personal name Polish Bolesław, Czech Boleslav, based on the element bol, meaning ‘greater, better’ or ‘more’ (from Old Slavic bolъ). 6. Czech: nickname from bolen ‘silver salmon’, typically used to refer to someone noted for agility.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bolen in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Bolen ranked 3,656th in popularity in 2000 and slipped to 3,793rd in 2010, marking a decrease of 3.75%. However, the number of people with this surname increased by 4.44%, from 8,927 in 2000 to 9,323 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with the surname Bolen per 100,000 people also decreased slightly, from 3.31 in 2000 to 3.16 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,656 | #3,793 | -3.75% |
| Count | 8,927 | 9,323 | 4.44% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.31 | 3.16 | -4.53% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bolen
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010. While the percentage of those identifying as White fell slightly from 93.05% to 92.08%, other ethnic identities saw growth. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander nearly doubled, going from 0.27% to 0.50%, and the proportion of Bolens with Hispanic ethnicity rose from 1.13% to 1.95%. Those identifying as having two or more races increased from 1.27% to 1.63%, while American Indian and Alaskan Natives grew from 0.54% to 0.64%. On the other hand, the Black population within the Bolen surname decreased from 3.74% to 3.19%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.05% | 92.08% | -1.04% |
| Black | 3.74% | 3.19% | -14.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.13% | 1.95% | 72.57% |
| Two or More Races | 1.27% | 1.63% | 28.35% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.64% | 18.52% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.5% | 85.19% |
Bolen 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 Bolen is British & Irish, which comprises 55.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.3%) and Scandinavian (4.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.8% |
| French & German | 25.3% |
| Scandinavian | 4.5% |
| Other | 14.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Bolen
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 Bolen have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.50% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 89.00% |
What Bolen 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 Bolen is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z27230 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Knowles, Shaw, Donald, Hughes, Harvey, Croft, Grady, Fox, Phillips, Ford.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bolen surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Bolen 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bolen" Surname 40.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bolen" Surname 36.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bolen" Surname 31.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bolen" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bolen?
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 Bolen are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition