Explore the Family Name Bou
The meaning of Bou
1. Catalan and southern French: from Catalan and Occitan bou ‘ox’ (from Latin bos, genitive bovis), probably a metonymic occupational name for a herdsman. Compare Bove. 2. Arabic (mainly Lebanon, Maghreb): vernacular dialect variant of Abou, in which the initial short vowel is dropped. This surname is found among both Muslims and Christians. 3. Cambodian: written ប៊ូ, unexplained. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Miguel, Javier, Rafael, Ana, Concepcion, Consuelo, Elena, Enrique, Eusebia, Fernando, Gilberto. Southeast Asian Phan, Phanh, Samnang, Tha. French Jean-Charles, Pierre.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bou in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bou saw a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name improved from being the 25374th most popular surname in 2000 to being the 24186th in 2010, marking an improvement of approximately 4.68%. The number of individuals bearing the surname also rose from 916 in 2000 to 1039 in 2010, representing an increase of 13.43%. The proportion of people with the surname Bou per 100k of the population edged up slightly from 0.34 in 2000 to 0.35 in 2010, reflecting a modest increase of 2.94%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,374 | #24,186 | 4.68% |
| Count | 916 | 1,039 | 13.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.34 | 0.35 | 2.94% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bou
In terms of ethnicity, the data obtained from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the largest portion of people with the surname Bou identified as Asian/Pacific Islander in both 2000 and 2010. This demographic grew by 4.56% over the decade. Individuals identifying as Hispanic made up the second-largest group, and their numbers increased by 14.89% during this period. The percentage of those who identified as White declined by 17.17%, while those identifying with two or more races saw a substantial decrease of 51.71%. Notably, for the first time in 2010, a small percentage (1.83%) of individuals carrying the surname Bou identified as Black, whereas there had been no representation in this category in 2000. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained constant at 0% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 43.45% | 45.43% | 4.56% |
| Hispanic | 29.15% | 33.49% | 14.89% |
| White | 19.98% | 16.55% | -17.17% |
| Two or More Races | 5.57% | 2.69% | -51.71% |
| Black | 0% | 1.83% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |