Bosie
A French diminutive form of the name Boson, of German origin and meaning "small".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Bosie. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bosie today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bosie births was 1950 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bosie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bosie is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bosies were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bosie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1950
7 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1956 SSA rank
#4,003
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Bosie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bosie from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Bosie remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bosie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bosie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bosie
The given name Bosie has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization that flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. It is derived from the Etruscan word "bosi" which meant "noble" or "distinguished." The Etruscans were a highly cultured and advanced society that predated the Roman Empire, and their influence can be seen in many aspects of Roman culture and language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bosie can be found in the Etruscan inscriptions and artifacts dating back to the 6th century BCE. These inscriptions often featured names of individuals, suggesting that Bosie was in use during this time period. However, it is difficult to ascertain the exact meaning or significance of the name in Etruscan culture due to the limited understanding of their language and customs.
In later historical records, the name Bosie appears sporadically throughout the centuries. One notable individual who bore this name was Bosie Douglas (1870-1945), a British poet and literary editor who was famously associated with Oscar Wilde. Their relationship and subsequent trials surrounding homosexuality scandalized Victorian society and left a lasting impact on the literary world.
Another individual of note was Bosie Gee (1892-1952), a British actor and theater director who had a successful career on the London stage in the early 20th century. He was known for his performances in several Shakespearean plays and for his work in promoting and preserving the art of traditional theater.
In the world of sports, Bosie Newbold (1906-1988) was an American golfer who competed in several major tournaments in the 1920s and 1930s. Although he never won a major championship, he was a respected figure in the golfing community and contributed to the growth of the sport during that era.
Moving into more recent times, Bosie Caldwell (1923-2015) was an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader who played a significant role in the development of the West Coast jazz scene in the 1950s and 1960s. His unique style and innovative approach to music earned him a dedicated following among jazz enthusiasts.
While the name Bosie may not be as common today as it once was, its historical significance and connections to various cultural and artistic spheres make it a unique and intriguing choice for those seeking a name with rich heritage and meaning.
People
Bosie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bosie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bosie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bosie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bosie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Bosie a common name?
We classify Bosie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bosie most popular?
The single biggest year for Bosie was 1950, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bosie is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bosie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bosie a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bosie in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bosie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bosie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bosie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Bosie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.