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

Bosley, 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 Bosley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bosley in America

Bosley is the 4881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bosley surname appeared 7,216 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bosley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bosley 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 Bosley

The surname Bosley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Bosley, a village in the county of Cheshire, England. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "bor" meaning "a dwelling" and "leah" meaning "a clearing in a wood."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bosley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1199, where a person named Richard de Bosledon is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Bosledon," reflects the evolution of the name from the original place name.

The Bosley surname also appears in the Cartulary of Dieulacres Abbey, a medieval monastic record from Staffordshire, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region during that time period.

Interestingly, the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England, does not contain any direct references to the surname Bosley or its variants. However, it does mention the village of Bosley itself, indicating the existence of the place name from which the surname later derived.

One notable historical figure with the surname Bosley was Sir John Bosley (c. 1465-1536), a member of the English gentry and a servant to King Henry VIII. He held the position of Gentleman of the Privy Chamber and was involved in various royal commissions during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual was Richard Bosley (1564-1624), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1619 until his death. He was known for his involvement in religious controversies of the time and his opposition to Puritanism.

In the realm of literature, Elizabeth Bosley (1720-1786) was a British poet and playwright who gained recognition for her works, including the tragedy "Calista" and the poem "The Discontented Solitary."

Moving to more recent times, Tom Bosley (1927-2010) was an American actor best known for his role as Howard Cunningham on the popular sitcom "Happy Days." He had a long and successful career in television and theater, earning numerous accolades for his performances.

Lastly, John Bosley (1944-2010) was a British actor and director who made significant contributions to the theater scene in London. He co-founded the renowned Hampstead Theatre Company and directed productions for various esteemed theater companies throughout his career.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bosley

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

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 Bosley 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 Bosley 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 Bosley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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