2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bossett
A surname likely derived from a Norman form of the English place name Bosworth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Bossett. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bossett 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Bossett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bossett
The surname Bossett originates from France, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bosset," which means "hump" or "protuberance." This may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive physical feature, such as a hunchback or a prominent nose.
Early records of the name can be found in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the Chartres Cathedral cartulary from the year 1180, where a certain "Petrus Bossetus" is mentioned.
During the Middle Ages, the Bossett family held lands and properties in various parts of France. In the 13th century, the name is recorded in the Trésor des Chartes, which was a collection of important documents and charters maintained by the French monarchy.
As the Bossett family expanded and branches migrated to different regions, the name underwent slight spelling variations. Some notable examples include Bosset, Bossette, and Bossart. These variations often reflected local dialects and regional influences.
One prominent figure bearing the Bossett name was Jean Bossett, a French sculptor and architect who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1585). He was known for his work on the Château de Chenonceau and the Château d'Anet, among other notable projects.
Another notable Bossett was Pierre Bossett (1603-1677), a French composer and organist who served at the court of Louis XIV. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of French Baroque music.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Bossett family settled in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). One member of this branch, François Bossett (1742-1818), played a significant role in the Haitian Revolution and was a close associate of Toussaint Louverture.
The Bossett name also found its way to other parts of Europe through migration and trade. In the 19th century, a German branch of the family emerged, with Johann Bossett (1815-1892) being a renowned philosopher and educator in Berlin.
In the United Kingdom, the name is sometimes rendered as Bossitt or Bossitt. Notable individuals with this spelling include Sir William Bossitt (1789-1867), a British businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bossett
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bossett 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 Bossett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American72.4% · 76
- White11.4% · 12
- Two or more races9.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bossett
Bossett 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,049 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-18 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,049 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 16,540 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 Bossett 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 | #136,449 | #152,989 | -12.1% |
| Count | 123 | 105 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bossett bearers went from 123 to 105 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 16,540 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,989.
FAQ
Bossett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bossett?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Bossett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Bossett?
Bossett ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Bossett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bossett.
Has Bossett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bossett went from 123 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Bossett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bossett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (9.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bossett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bossett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (72.4%), White (11.4%), Two or More Races (9.5%). 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 Bossett (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 Bossett mean?
A surname likely derived from a Norman form of the English place name Bosworth. 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 Bossett (0.04 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 Bossett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.