Find out how popular the last name Bos is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bos.

Bos, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bos in America

Bos is the 8665th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bos surname appeared 3,792 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bos to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bos

The surname "Bos" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "bos," which means "forest" or "woods." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Bos" can be found in a Dutch census record from the year 1248, which mentions a "Jan van den Bos" residing in the town of Dordrecht. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 13th century.

In the late 14th century, a nobleman named Dirk Bos (1350-1418) is mentioned in several historical texts as a prominent figure in the Hoekse and Kabeljauwse Wars, a series of conflicts between rival political factions in Holland. Dirk Bos is noted for his role as a military commander and his involvement in various battles and sieges during this tumultuous period.

The name "Bos" also appears in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry "Bos" is listed among the tenants in the county of Norfolk, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname had already made their way to England by the late 11th century.

Another notable figure with the surname "Bos" was the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bos (1550-1628), who was renowned for his religious and allegorical paintings during the Dutch Golden Age. His works can be found in various museums and galleries across Europe, and he is considered a significant contributor to the development of Dutch art in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the 18th century, the Dutch botanist Lambertus Bos (1670-1717) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of plant life. He is particularly known for his work on the classification and description of various plant species found in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia).

Over the centuries, the surname "Bos" has also been spelled in various ways, such as "Bosch," "Bossche," and "Bosschaert," reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. These alternative spellings can be found in historical records and documents from different parts of the Netherlands and neighboring regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bos

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bos.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bos was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bos has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bos, please contact us.

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