2000
#6,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,505
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Bosco
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who worked in or owned a forest or wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,825 Americans carry the last name Bosco. That puts it at #7,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bosco surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bosco with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,037
Census rank
#7,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,208 bearers of the surname Bosco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bosco, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bosco
The surname Bosco is of Italian origin, deriving from the Italian word "bosco" meaning "wood" or "forest." Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
In the early days, the surname Bosco was likely used to identify individuals who lived near or worked in woodlands or forests. It may have been an occupational surname for those involved in forestry, woodcutting, or related trades.
The name Bosco is found in historical records from various regions of Italy, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. One notable early mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Campania region, which includes references to individuals bearing the surname Bosco in the 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bosco was Giovanni Bosco (1815-1888), an Italian Catholic priest and educator who founded the Salesian Society and dedicated his life to educating and assisting underprivileged youth. He is widely venerated as Saint John Bosco.
Another prominent figure was Umberto Bosco (1885-1958), an Italian literary critic and scholar, known for his work on Italian literature and his contributions to the study of Dante's works.
In the realm of art, the name Bosco is associated with the renowned Italian painter, draftsman, and printmaker Giuseppe Maria Crespi (1665-1747), who was also known as "Lo Spagnuolo" or "Il Bosco" due to his fondness for depicting woodland scenes.
One cannot overlook the significance of the Bosco family in the history of Italian wine. The Bosco family from Piedmont has been producing exceptional wines since the late 18th century, with their vineyards and winery playing a crucial role in the development of the Barolo wine region.
Another notable figure was Pietro Bosco (1834-1923), an Italian architect and engineer who was instrumental in the construction of several important landmarks in Turin, including the Mole Antonelliana, one of the city's most iconic buildings.
While the surname Bosco originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Italian migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural and historical tapestry of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bosco
Among Census respondents with the surname Bosco, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bosco bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bosco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 3,680
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 171
- Black or African American2.9% · 121
- Two or more races2.7% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bosco
Bosco appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,498
-7 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 520 places
2020
#7,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,208
-290 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Down 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,879 | 4,505 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,399 | 4,498 | 1.52 | -7 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 520 places |
| 2020 | #7,600 | 4,208 | 1.41 | -290 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 201 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bosco surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,399 | #7,600 | -2.7% |
| Count | 4,498 | 4,208 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.41 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bosco bearers went from 4,498 to 4,208 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,399 to #7,600.
FAQ
Bosco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bosco?
Name Census estimates that about 4,825 living Americans carry the surname Bosco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,037 residents.
How common is Bosco?
Bosco ranks #7,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,208 people with the surname Bosco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,825), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bosco.
Has Bosco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bosco went from 4,498 recorded bearers to 4,208. That is a decrease of 290 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,399 to #7,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Bosco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bosco, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (2.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bosco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (3,680 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bosco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (4.1%), Black (2.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bosco (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bosco mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who worked in or owned a forest or wood. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bosco (1.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Bosco?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.