The Boring surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,746 people carried this name — #5,986 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 51,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 5,552 in 2000.

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In the Nordic population registers

30 people named Boring is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 30

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Boring in American newspapers,
1875–1915.

Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Boring
New-york Tribune 1900-03-04
Newspaper page from The Morristown Gazette carrying the name Boring
The Morristown Gazette 1875-10-27
Newspaper page from The Maryville Times carrying the name Boring
The Maryville Times 1915-02-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,382 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Boring in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

968 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Boring. The most, 189, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 251
New South Wales 245
Victoria 200
Queensland 161
Tasmania 51
Western Australia 46
ACT (Canberra) 8
Northern Territory 4

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

Who carried it

People named Boring,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Samuel Watson Boring
    Samuel Watson Boring 1824–1903 · mayor
  • William H. Boring
    William H. Boring 1841–1932
  • William A. Boring
    William A. Boring 1859–1937 · architect
  • Edwin Boring
    Edwin Boring 1886–1968 · psychologist
  • Wayne Boring 1905–1987 · artist

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 7 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Boring,
in the records of 6 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 States321 records

321 records of the Boring name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 200
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 76
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 13
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 11
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 10
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 5
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 2
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Neil B. Boring

    Born 1920 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Forrest; showman from Washington County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Mountain Home National Cemetery, Tennessee.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1847 aboard the Prinz Veldmarschock from Rotterdam, aged 38; farmer. From Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Jack William Boring

    U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1948, died 1999; buried at Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 321 records for Boring in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Germany19 records

19 records of the Boring 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 Harm Böring

    Born 1881; from Neudorf, Leer. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 2 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 30).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Josef Böring

    From Vreden, Ahaus. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 15 May 1915 (Brigade Replacement Battalion No. 28).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Boring

    From Stößen, Weißenfels. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 15 August 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 19 records for Boring in Germany.

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).

Netherlands8 records

8 records of the Boring name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johannes Hermanus Boring

    Died 1845 in Westervoort, aged 67; labourer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Christina Maria Boring

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1829 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Christina Adelheid Boring

    Married in 1812 in Winterswijk.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Boring 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada3 records

3 records of the Boring name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Herbert Boring

    Buried in 1998 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 51.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record William Boring

    Listed at Egerton Township, Pictou, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1838.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record John Boring

    Listed at Egerton Township, Pictou, Nova Scotia in the census and tax rolls of 1838.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia1 record

1 record of the Boring name in Australia Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Boring

    Sailed from Victoria in 1863 aboard the Result, bound for London, aged 34.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

France1 record

1 record of the Boring name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marguerite Adelaide Boring

    Born 1891 in Strasbourg; died 1973 in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Boring.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Boring 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.

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