2000
#5,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,665
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.10
Rare Last name
Bost
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a woods, forest, or bushy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,025 Americans carry the last name Bost. That puts it at #6,243 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,889 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bost 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 Bost with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,889
Census rank
#6,243
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,254 bearers of the surname Bost in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6243rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bost, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bost
Among Census respondents with the surname Bost, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bost 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 Bost surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.5% · 3,967
- Black or African American16.6% · 871
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 180
- Two or more races3.3% · 176
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bost
Bost 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
#5,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,734
+69 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#6,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,254
-480 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Down 248 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,619 | 5,665 | 2.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,995 | 5,734 | 1.94 | +69 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #6,243 | 5,254 | 1.76 | -480 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 248 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 Bost 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 | #5,995 | #6,243 | -4.1% |
| Count | 5,734 | 5,254 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.76 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bost bearers went from 5,734 to 5,254 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 248 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,995 to #6,243.
FAQ
Bost surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bost?
Name Census estimates that about 6,025 living Americans carry the surname Bost. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,889 residents.
How common is Bost?
Bost ranks #6,243 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,254 people with the surname Bost. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,025), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bost.
Has Bost become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bost went from 5,734 recorded bearers to 5,254. That is a decrease of 480 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,995 to #6,243.
What does the Census say about the background of Bost?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bost, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bost in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (3,967 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bost appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.5%), Black (16.6%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bost (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 Bost mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname indicating an origin near a woods, forest, or bushy area. 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 Bost (1.76 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 Bost?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.