Explore the Family Name Boswell
The meaning of Boswell
English and Scottish (of Norman origin): habitational name from Beuzeville-la-Giffard in Seine-Maritime, France, named with the ancient Germanic personal name Boso + ville ‘settlement’. The final element has been altered as a result of association with the common placename ending -well ‘spring, stream’. Some instances of Bovill may have the same origin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Boswell in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Boswell has experienced changes in its popularity over a decade. In 2000, Boswell was ranked as the 1493rd most popular surname, but it dropped slightly to 1591st in the 2010 census, reflecting a change of -6.56%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 21,927 in 2000 to 22,540 in 2010, showing a growth of 2.8%. The proportion of the Boswell surname per 100,000 people also decreased by -6.03% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,493 | #1,591 | -6.56% |
| Count | 21,927 | 22,540 | 2.8% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.13 | 7.64 | -6.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Boswell
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides valuable insight into the ethnicity of individuals carrying the Boswell surname. From 2000 to 2010, there was an increase in the percentage of Boswell individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (45.71% increase), those who identify with two or more races (33.15% increase), Hispanic (46.54% increase), Black (5.63% increase), and American Indian and Alaskan Native (11.38% increase). During the same period, there was a slight decrease of -3.14% in those identifying as White. This illustrates the ethnic diversity within the Boswell population over time.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.61% | 77.11% | -3.14% |
| Black | 15.44% | 16.31% | 5.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.78% | 2.37% | 33.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.59% | 2.33% | 46.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.23% | 1.37% | 11.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.51% | 45.71% |
Boswell 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 Boswell is British & Irish, which comprises 58.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.7%) and Eastern European (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.4% |
| French & German | 20.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.4% |
| Other | 17.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Boswell
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 Boswell have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
What Boswell 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 Boswell is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-Z209, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Swift, Baer, Hood, Laurent, Anders, Sexton, Nagle, Wynn, Child, Gary.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Boswell 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 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 Boswell 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.
"Boswell" Surname 35.9%
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.
"Boswell" Surname 29.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Boswell" Surname 20.6%
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.
"Boswell" Surname 21.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Boswell?
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 Boswell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition