2000
#14,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,917
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Bossert
A German surname derived from words meaning "person who lives or works at a fortified place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,126 Americans carry the last name Bossert. That puts it at #15,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,220 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bossert 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,220
Census rank
#15,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,854 bearers of the surname Bossert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bossert
The surname Bossert is of German origin, originating in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "bosse," which means "boss" or "master," and the suffix "-ert," which is a diminutive form. This suggests that the name was initially used to refer to someone in a position of authority or leadership, possibly a foreman or overseer.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Bossert name can be found in the "Dortmunder Bürgerbuch" (Dortmund Citizen's Book) from the year 1390, which lists a "Henneken Bossert" as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name was well-established in the Dortmund region of Germany by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Bossert name appears in the records of the city of Cologne, with a "Peter Bossert" listed as a merchant in 1567. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of Germany and was associated with various occupations.
The Bossert name also has a presence in historical records from other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, a "Johannes Bossert" is recorded as a resident of the city of Strasbourg, located in the Alsace region of France (which was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time).
Notable individuals with the Bossert surname include:
1. Johann Baptist Bossert (1674-1737), a German Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled to South America and is known for his writings on the indigenous cultures of the region.
2. Adolphe Bossert (1857-1923), a French writer and art historian who specialized in the study of French Renaissance art and architecture.
3. Helmuth Theodor Bossert (1889-1961), a German Orientalist and archaeologist who conducted extensive research on the ancient civilizations of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).
4. Martin Bossert (born 1949), a German computer scientist and cryptographer known for his contributions to the development of modern encryption algorithms.
5. Petra Bossert (born 1967), a German former professional tennis player who achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 28 in the world.
While the Bossert name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insights into the origins and early spread of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bossert
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bossert 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 Bossert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 1,745
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 47
- Two or more races2.0% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bossert
Bossert 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
#15,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,913
-4 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,000 places
2020
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,854
-59 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,328 | 1,917 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,328 | 1,913 | 0.65 | -4 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 1,000 places |
| 2020 | #15,238 | 1,854 | 0.62 | -59 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 90 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 Bossert 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 | #15,328 | #15,238 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,913 | 1,854 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.62 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bossert bearers went from 1,913 to 1,854 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,328 to #15,238.
FAQ
Bossert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bossert?
Name Census estimates that about 2,126 living Americans carry the surname Bossert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,220 residents.
How common is Bossert?
Bossert ranks #15,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,854 people with the surname Bossert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Bossert.
Has Bossert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bossert went from 1,913 recorded bearers to 1,854. That is a decrease of 59 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,328 to #15,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Bossert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossert, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Bossert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (1,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bossert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Bossert (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 Bossert mean?
A German surname derived from words meaning "person who lives or works at a fortified place". 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 Bossert (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Bossert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.