2000
#63,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 292
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Bota
A Romanian surname derived from the word referring to a short leather riding boot.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 459 Americans carry the last name Bota. That puts it at #55,400 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 746,741 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bota 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
459
1 in 746,741
Census rank
#55,400
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
400
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 400 bearers of the surname Bota in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 55400th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bota, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.8%) and Black (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bota
The surname BOTA has its origins tracing back to the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Spain and Portugal, during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "bota," which means a leather wineskin or a boot.
This surname is thought to have its earliest roots in the occupation of wineskin or boot makers, with families adopting the name to reflect their trade. It is possible that the name was also used to identify individuals who were particularly skilled in the production or repair of these leather goods.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the BOTA surname can be found in the historical records of the Kingdom of Aragon, a medieval kingdom located in the northeastern region of the Iberian Peninsula. In the 13th century, a document from the city of Zaragoza references a certain Pedro BOTA, who was a prominent wineskin maker.
As the name spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, it took on various spellings and regional variations, such as BOTAO in Portugal and BOTELLA in certain areas of Spain. These variations often reflected local dialects or the assimilation of the name into different linguistic traditions.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the BOTA surname include Juan BOTA (1520-1594), a renowned Spanish painter known for his religious works adorning churches in Seville and Cordoba. Another notable figure was Miguel BOTA (1675-1739), a Portuguese explorer who played a significant role in mapping the coastline of Brazil during the colonial era.
In the 19th century, the BOTA surname gained recognition through the accomplishments of Josefa BOTA (1812-1876), a Spanish educator and advocate for women's rights, who established several schools for girls in Madrid. Francisco BOTA (1845-1921), a Spanish military officer, also gained prominence for his role in the Spanish-American War.
Moving into the 20th century, the name BOTA was carried by individuals such as Emilio BOTA (1909-1995), a celebrated Spanish architect known for his innovative designs in modernist architecture. Lastly, Julio BOTA (1937-2018), a Portuguese writer and poet, left a lasting legacy with his works exploring themes of identity and the human condition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bota
Among Census respondents with the surname Bota, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.8%) and Black (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bota 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 Bota surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3% · 277
- Hispanic or Latino22.8% · 91
- Black or African American6.8% · 27
- Two or more races0.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bota
Bota 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
#60,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 334
+42 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 3,465 places
2020
#55,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 400
+66 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 4,947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,812 | 292 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #60,347 | 334 | 0.11 | +42 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 3,465 places |
| 2020 | #55,400 | 400 | 0.13 | +66 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 4,947 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 Bota 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 | #60,347 | #55,400 | 8.2% |
| Count | 334 | 400 | 19.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.13 | 21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bota bearers went from 334 to 400 (+19.8% change). The surname moved up 4,947 positions in the national ranking, going from #60,347 to #55,400.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bota
FAQ
Bota surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bota?
Name Census estimates that about 459 living Americans carry the surname Bota. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 746,741 residents.
How common is Bota?
Bota ranks #55,400 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 400 people with the surname Bota. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bota.
Has Bota become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bota went from 334 recorded bearers to 400. That is an increase of 66 (+19.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #60,347 to #55,400.
What does the Census say about the background of Bota?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bota, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (22.8%) and Black (6.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bota in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (277 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bota appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.3%), Hispanic (22.8%), Black (6.8%). 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 Bota (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 Bota mean?
A Romanian surname derived from the word referring to a short leather riding boot. 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 Bota (0.13 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 have the surname Bota?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.