Boz
A diminutive form of the Persian name Ebrahim, meaning "father of many".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Boz. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Boz today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Boz births was 1978 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Boz. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Boz. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1978
5 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1978 SSA rank
#5,897
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Boz: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Boz 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 Boz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Boz
The given name Boz has its origins in the Middle English word "boz", which was a diminutive form of the name Bardolf. This name was derived from the Old French words "bard" and "olf", meaning "brave" and "wolf" respectively. Bardolf was a common name among Norman families during the 11th and 12th centuries, and it is believed that the nickname "Boz" emerged as a shortened version of this name.
The name Boz gained prominence in the 19th century, largely due to its association with the famous English author Charles Dickens. In 1836, Dickens published a collection of humorous sketches under the pen name "Boz", which became his signature pseudonym. The origin of this pseudonym is uncertain, but it is speculated that Dickens may have been inspired by a childhood nickname or a character from one of his early writings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Boz can be found in the book "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" by Charles Dickens, which was published in 1837. In this novel, one of the characters is referred to as "Boz", although it is not clear whether this was a first name or a nickname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Boz as either a first name or a pseudonym. In the late 19th century, there was an American poet and humorist named Bozzy Shulters (1862-1912), who was known for his humorous writings and public lectures. Another notable figure was Boz Burridge (1904-1977), an Australian tennis player who was a member of the Australian Davis Cup team in the 1920s.
In the realm of literature, the name Boz was used as a pseudonym by the American author William Loring Andrews (1837-1920), who wrote several novels and short stories under this pen name. Additionally, there was a British author named Boz Adey (1906-1993), who wrote several children's books and novels during the mid-20th century.
While not as common as other names, the name Boz has left its mark in various fields, from literature and sports to entertainment. Its unique and intriguing origins have contributed to its enduring appeal and have ensured its place in the annals of history.
People
Boz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Boz 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
Boz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Boz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Boz 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Boz a common name?
We classify Boz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Boz most popular?
The single biggest year for Boz was 1978, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Boz is about 45 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 Boz in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Boz a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Boz 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 Boz still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Boz 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 Boz 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 many Americans are named Boz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Boz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.