Boy · #3,968 in 2026

Boise

Boise is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the county seat of Ada County. The population of the city was 235,685 at the 2020 census. The Boise metropolitan area, located in the Treasure Valley, includes five counties of Idaho with an estimated population of 846,000, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho and 74th-most populous in the United States.

Current Rank
#3,968
Peak Rank
#3,869 (1921)
Total Babies
38
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1913
First Year
1967
Last Year
1921
Peak Year
#3869
Peak Rank
38
Total Count
7
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Boise

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Boise is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the county seat of Ada County. The population of the city was 235,685 at the 2020 census. The Boise metropolitan area, located in the Treasure Valley, includes five counties of Idaho with an estimated population of 846,000, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho and 74th-most populous in the United States.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Floating the Boise River The origin of the name is uncertain. One account credits Capt. B. L. E. Bonneville of the U.S. Army as its source. After trekking for weeks through dry and rough terrain , his exploration party reached an overlook with a view of the Boise River Valley . The place where they stood is called Bonneville Point, located on the Oregon Trail east of the city. According to the story, a French -speaking guide, overwhelmed by the sight of the verdant river, yelled " Les bois! Les bois! " ("The woods! The woods!")—and the name stuck. The name may also derive from earlier mountain
Origin & history
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Boise, Idaho . .mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;borde

The Story of Boise

Boise first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 6 Boises were born — ranking #3,869 that year. As of 2026, Boise ranks #3,968 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 38 Boises have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
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NC
SC
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NM
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LA
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AL
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Top 10
11-50
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500+
No data

Names that sound like Boise

Phonetically similar names — useful when Boise is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Busy
  • Boozy
  • Buzzy
  • Bizzy
  • Basie
  • Beasy
  • Boosy
  • Busi
  • Bozzi
  • Buzzi
  • Bazi
  • Bosey

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Boise

What does the name Boise mean?
Boise is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the county seat of Ada County. The population of the city was 235,685 at the 2020 census. The Boise metropolitan area, located in the Treasure Valley, includes five counties of Idaho with an estimated population of 846,000, the most populous metropolitan area in Idaho and 74th-most populous in the United States.
How popular is Boise in 2026?
In 2026, Boise ranks #3,968 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Boise most popular?
Boise reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #3,869 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Boise a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Boise is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Boise?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Boise include Erna, Birney, Chatman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Erna
Peak #3869
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Birney
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Chatman
Peak #3869
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Lankford
Peak #3869
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Penrose
Peak #3869
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Climon
Peak #3869
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Warne
Peak #3869
👦
Elree
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About the name Boise

Boise is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 38 births in the dataset. Boise's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #3,869. Use the chart and map above to compare Boise's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.