Boaz

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 11 languages in the etymology graph.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Boaz is also recorded as 3 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Hebrew given name4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Israel, United States, Ethiopia, Netherlands

  Also written בועז, בעז, Bo'Az

• a separate name3 spellings in the group

  Also written Boâz

• a separate name2 spellings in the group

  Also written Boaż

51 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Boaz is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• A Hebrew name meaning 'swiftness' or 'in him is strength', associated with generosity, loyalty, and redemption.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Traditionally interpreted as 'In him is strength'; possibly derived from a root meaning 'swiftness'.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Boaz represents the archetype of the benevolent redeemer, often viewed in Christian typology as a prefiguration of Christ who redeems the Church.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Biblical Hebrew name of uncertain origin, said by some to be from a word meaning ‘swiftness’. In the Bible it is borne by a distant kinsman of Ruth, who treats her generously and eventually marries her. The given name was in occasional use in England in the 17th and 18th centuries but is now very rare. It is sometimes used in Jewish families.

  as a name·A concise dictionary of first names

• In English, The second husband of Ruth, the father of Obed, the son of Salmon

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Boaz Cohenb. 1899USAmerican Jewish historian and talmudist (1899-1968)
• Boaz Davidsonb. 1943ILfilm director
• David Boazb. 1953USAmerican libertarian author and editor (1953-2024)
• Boaz Yakinb. 1966USAmerican screenwriter and film director
• Boaz Toporovskyb. 1980ILIsraeli politician
• Boaz Myhillb. 1982USassociation football player (born 1982)
• Boaz Solossab. 1986IDIndonesian footballer
• Bo'az Ma'udab. 1987ILnot in their usual nameIsraeli singer
• Boaz van de Beatzb. 1988NLDutch music producer and DJ
• Boaz Kiplagat Lalangb. 1989KEathletics competitor

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Boaz mean, and where does it come from?

From the Hebrew male personal name Boaz, of unknown origin and meaning. Recorded by Encyclopedia of surnames [the complete companion to tracing your names history].

How common is the name Boaz?

In the Netherlands, the national register counted 4,584 people named Boaz, about 1 in 3.8 thousand residents.

In which country does Boaz have the most bearers?

Mondonomo estimates about 13 thousand people named Boaz in Tanzania, more than in any other country we hold.

Where is Boaz most common?

Measured as a share of residents rather than as a count, Boaz is densest in the Netherlands — about 1 in 3.8 thousand people — even though Tanzania holds more of our records for it.