Bost last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bost

A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a woods, forest, or bushy area.

Bost, 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 Bost surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bost in America

Bost is the 5995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bost surname appeared 5,734 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 Bost.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bost 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 5995 5619 6.47%
Count 5,734 5,665 1.21%
Proportion per 100k 1.94 2.10 -7.92%

The history of the last name Bost

The surname BOST is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bost," which means a dwelling or a small farm. This suggests that the name may have been used to identify individuals who lived on a small farm or homestead.

The surname BOST was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall in the southwestern part of England. There are several variations of the spelling, including BOSTE, BOSTES, and BOAST, which can be found in historical records from these regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BOST can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which was a census-like record of landowners in England. The Hundred Rolls mention a certain "Willelmus Bost" who held land in Somerset.

In the 14th century, the surname BOST appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were tax records. These rolls list several individuals with the surname BOST, including "Johannes Bost" from Devon and "Robertus Bost" from Somerset.

During the 16th century, the surname BOST was found in various Parish Registers and other historical documents. One notable individual was William Bost, who was born in Somerset around 1520 and served as a member of the local gentry.

In the 17th century, a certain Thomas Bost (1612-1678) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, located in the county of Somerset. His descendants continued to use the BOST surname for several generations.

Another notable figure was John Bost (1720-1792), who was a successful farmer and landowner in the village of Chittlehampton, Devon. He played an important role in the local community and served as a church warden for several years.

In the 19th century, a well-known individual with the surname BOST was Sir Robert Bost (1825-1899), who was a successful businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and used his wealth to support various charitable causes in his hometown of Taunton, Somerset.

While the surname BOST is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of English heritage, with roots tracing back to the medieval period and a history deeply intertwined with the counties of southwestern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bost

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

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 Bost was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 78.20% 4,484
Non-Hispanic Black Only 16.99% 974
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.51% 29
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.40% 23
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.80% 103
Hispanic Origin 2.11% 121

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 Bost has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 78.20% 79.59% -1.76%
Black 16.99% 16.79% 1.18%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.51% 0.42% 19.35%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.40% 0.44% -9.52%
Two or More Races 1.80% 1.27% 34.53%
Hispanic 2.11% 1.48% 35.10%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Bost last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bost-surname-popularity/.

"Bost last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bost-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Bost last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bost-surname-popularity/.

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