Explore the Family Name Bolger
The meaning of Bolger
1. English (of Norman origin): occupational name for a leather worker, from Old French boulgier, an agent derivative of Old French boulge ‘leather bag, wallet’ (Middle English bulge). 2. Irish (South Leinster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Bolguidhir ‘descendant of Bolgodhar’, a personal name composed of the elements bolg ‘belly’ + odhar ‘yellow, sallow’. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Aileen, Ciaran, Maeve.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bolger in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bolger experienced a slight decrease in rank from 9079 in 2000 to 9598 in 2010. This represents a change of -5.72 in ranking. However, the census showed an increase in the count of people with the Bolger surname from 3309 in 2000 to 3385 in 2010, indicating a modest growth of 2.3 percent. The proportion per 100,000 also decreased by 6.5 percent over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,079 | #9,598 | -5.72% |
| Count | 3,309 | 3,385 | 2.3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.23 | 1.15 | -6.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bolger
The ethnic identity associated with the Bolger surname has shown a bit of fluctuation according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In the span of a decade, those identifying as White and holding the surname dropped from 94.20 percent to 91.23 percent. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander slightly decreased from 0.79 percent to 0.77 percent. Notably, there were increases in those identifying as Black and Hispanic. Black representation rose from 3.20 percent to 4.82 percent, while Hispanic representation increased significantly from 1.00 percent to 2.07 percent. Interestingly, the figures for those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native changed from suppressed data in 2000 to 0.92 percent and 0.21 percent respectively in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.2% | 91.23% | -3.15% |
| Black | 3.2% | 4.82% | 50.63% |
| Hispanic | 1% | 2.07% | 107% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.92% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.79% | 0.77% | -2.53% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.21% | 0% |
Bolger 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 Bolger is British & Irish, which comprises 58.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.3%) and Eastern European (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.3% |
| French & German | 16.3% |
| Eastern European | 6.4% |
| Other | 19.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Bolger
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 Bolger have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 80.30% |
What Bolger 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 Bolger is R-Z255, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z255 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and I-S17250, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Horgan, Mobley, Beveridge, Kinsella, Mcgehee, Deaton, Mchale, Pilcher, Gaston, Gatlin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bolger surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Bolger 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.
"Bolger" Surname 51.4%
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.
"Bolger" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bolger" Surname 13.0%
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.
"Bolger" Surname 11.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bolger?
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 Bolger are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition