Explore the Family Name Boyce
The meaning of Boyce
1. English and Irish (mainly Donegal): of Norman origin, a habitational name from from one or more places in Normandy named with Old French bois ‘wood, grove’, especially Bois-Arnault and Bus-Saint-Rémy (Eure), and Bosc-le-Hard (Seine-Maritime), each of which is known to have given its name to an aristocratic Norman family in England. The name was taken by the Normans from England to Ireland, where it was also adopted to Anglicize Irish Ó Buadhaigh (see Bogue). 2. English: variant of Bush, influenced by Old French bois in 1 above, or else a translation of this term. 3. Americanized form of French Bois.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Boyce in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Boyce saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Boyce ranked as the 1,223rd most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 1,337th spot, representing a 9.32% decrease in rank. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname marginally increased by 0.56% from 26,229 to 26,376 within the same period. The proportion of people named Boyce per 100,000 also reduced by 8.02%, showing a downward trend in its overall popularity.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,223 | #1,337 | -9.32% |
| Count | 26,229 | 26,376 | 0.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.72 | 8.94 | -8.02% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Boyce
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts over the decade. The percentage of individuals with the Boyce surname identifying as White decreased slightly from 76.95% in 2000 to 74.15% in 2010. On the other hand, those identifying as Black increased modestly from 18.65% to 20.06%. Those who identified as Hispanic showed the most significant growth, from 1.51% to 2.45%, implying a 62.25% increase. The Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories all experienced minor increases in their percentages, emphasizing the increasing diversity among holders of the surname Boyce.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 76.95% | 74.15% | -3.64% |
| Black | 18.65% | 20.06% | 7.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.45% | 62.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 2.26% | 18.32% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.63% | 12.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.42% | 0.45% | 7.14% |
Boyce 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 Boyce is British & Irish, which comprises 55.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Eastern European (3.8%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.6% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Eastern European | 3.8% |
| Other | 17.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Boyce
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 Boyce have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
What Boyce 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 Boyce 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-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Harrison, Davis, Martin, Roberts, Webb, Brown, Williams, Wright, West, Morris.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Boyce 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 Boyce 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.
"Boyce" Surname 39.5%
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.
"Boyce" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Boyce" Surname 19.1%
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.
"Boyce" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Boyce?
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 Boyce are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition