2000
#12,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Bolivar
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person from Bolivia or a place in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,861 Americans carry the last name Bolivar. That puts it at #9,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bolivar surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,773
Census rank
#9,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,367 bearers of the surname Bolivar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolivar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bolivar
The surname Bolivar is of Spanish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Bolívar, located in the Spanish province of Cádiz, Andalusia. The name itself is derived from the Arabic word "Banu-l-Bar," which translates to "the sons of the desert."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bolivar can be found in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript detailing hunting practices in the region. This document mentions a certain "Juan Martínez de Bolívar" who was a prominent figure in the area.
During the 16th century, the Bolivar surname gained prominence as a result of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. One notable individual was Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a pivotal role in the independence of several South American countries from Spanish rule. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Latin America.
Another historical figure bearing the Bolivar name was Juan Vicénte Bolívar y Ponte (1677-1742), a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. His contributions to the artistic landscape of Spain during the Baroque period were significant.
In the realm of literature, Andrés Bello (1781-1865), a Venezuelan poet, philosopher, and educator, carried the Bolivar surname. He is recognized as a prominent figure in the Spanish-American literary canon and played a crucial role in the development of education in several South American countries.
The name Bolivar has also been associated with various places, such as Bolívar, a city in Colombia, and the Bolivar Department, an administrative region in northern Colombia. Additionally, the Bolivar Peninsula, located in Texas, United States, bears this name in honor of Simón Bolívar.
Throughout history, the surname Bolivar has been carried by numerous individuals, including military leaders, artists, intellectuals, and political figures, reflecting its diverse and influential presence across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bolivar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolivar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bolivar bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bolivar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.9% · 2,554
- White10.8% · 363
- Black or African American7.5% · 252
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 147
- Two or more races1.2% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bolivar
Bolivar appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,997
+695 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 1,706 places
2020
#9,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,367
+370 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 1,396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,377 | 2,302 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,671 | 2,997 | 1.02 | +695 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 1,706 places |
| 2020 | #9,275 | 3,367 | 1.13 | +370 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 1,396 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bolivar surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,671 | #9,275 | 13.1% |
| Count | 2,997 | 3,367 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 1.13 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bolivar bearers went from 2,997 to 3,367 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 1,396 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,671 to #9,275.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bolivar
FAQ
Bolivar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bolivar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,861 living Americans carry the surname Bolivar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,773 residents.
How common is Bolivar?
Bolivar ranks #9,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,367 people with the surname Bolivar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bolivar.
Has Bolivar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bolivar went from 2,997 recorded bearers to 3,367. That is an increase of 370 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,671 to #9,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Bolivar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bolivar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.9%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Black (7.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bolivar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (2,554 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bolivar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (75.9%), White (10.8%), Black (7.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bolivar (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bolivar mean?
A surname of Spanish origin referring to a person from Bolivia or a place in Spain. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bolivar (1.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Bolivar?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Bolivar at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.