The Borden surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,500 people carried this name — #2,352 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 19,000 people counted. That is up 1% from 15,342 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Borden surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Borden’ — the first of the origins he gives.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 119 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

54 families named Borden, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 305 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Rhode Island 21
Virginia 8
Massachusetts 7
New York 5
Connecticut 4
Vermont 3
North Carolina 3
Pennsylvania 2
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 230 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Borden in American newspapers,
1883–1892.

Newspaper page from The Star carrying the name Borden
The Star 1892-09-14
Newspaper page from St. Landry Democrat carrying the name Borden
St. Landry Democrat 1883-06-23
Newspaper page from St. Landry Democrat carrying the name Borden
St. Landry Democrat 1892-10-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Borden in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

8,858 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Borden. The most, 5,603, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,329
Queensland 1,999
Victoria 1,726
Western Australia 1,096
South Australia 992
Tasmania 678
ACT (Canberra) 17
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Borden.

Who carried it

People named Borden,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Aaron Borden d. 2007
  • Mary Borden 1633–1690
  • Mary Borden 1654–1734
  • Joseph Borden 1680–1715
  • Joseph Borden 1702–1736
  • William Borden 1707–1756

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Borden,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,446 records

1,446 records of the Borden name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 505
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 321
  • Other U.S. records 620
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles E. Borden

    Born 1947; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, duty soldier; died in an accident 1967 in South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Orel H. Borden

    Born 1916 in Colorado. Enlisted 1945 at Fort Macarthur San Pedro, California; carpenter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park - Fh, Bakersfield, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah Borden

    Arrived at New York in 1877 aboard the Abyssinia from Liverpool, aged 17; helper. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,446 records for Borden in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada843 records

843 records of the Borden name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 800
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 12
  • Other Canadian records 31
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Bristow Borden

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Nesbitt, bound for Port Matton, aged 20.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert Laird Borden

    Buried in 1985 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 72.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Russell Hamilton Mewburn Borden

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 843 records for Borden in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia31 records

31 records of the Borden name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 16
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 12
  • Tasmanian Names Index 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Arthur Reginald Borden

    Retired farmer of Watchem, Victoria; died 1991.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Borden

    Arrived in Victoria in 1881 aboard the Ringarooma, aged 26.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Madeline Borden

    Born 1909 in Stanley, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 31 records for Borden in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands23 records

23 records of the Borden name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 10
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 10
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Adriana Borden

    Died 1853 in Dordrecht, aged 86.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Rivierenland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Grietje Borden

    Married in 1745 in Bunschoten.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Reijntjen Borden

    Buried in 1795 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 23 records for Borden in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Germany1 record

1 record of the Borden name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Börden

    From Scherpenseel, Kreis Düren. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 30 October 1914 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 68).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Borden.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Borden is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Borden volume
Scroll to Top