2000
#4,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,614
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.82
Rare Last name
Bostick
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Bōsa's stick," likely referring to a boundary marker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,568 Americans carry the last name Bostick. That puts it at #4,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,004 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bostick 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 Bostick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 40,004
Census rank
#4,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,472 bearers of the surname Bostick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bostick, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bostick
The surname Bostick is believed to have originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words "bosc" meaning a bush or thicket, and "toc" meaning a piece of land. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bushy area or wooded land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bostick dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bostoc". This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in parts of England.
In the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms such as "Bostoke" and "Bostocc" in medieval records from counties like Norfolk and Suffolk. These areas were known for their dense woodlands, further supporting the connection between the name and its meaning.
The Bostick surname has been present in various parts of England for centuries. One notable figure was Sir John Bostick, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a member of the King's Council during the reign of Henry VII.
Another early record of the name is found in the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Bostick was recorded as being born in 1612.
In the 17th century, the Bostick family established themselves in the county of Lancashire, where they were landowners and prominent members of the local community. One member, Robert Bostick (1642-1718), served as a magistrate and was known for his involvement in local affairs.
During the 18th century, the Bostick name gained recognition in literary circles with the writer and poet Mary Bostick (1726-1798), who published several works of poetry and prose that were well-received in her time.
As the centuries progressed, the Bostick name continued to spread across various regions of England, with families settling in areas like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Gloucestershire. This dispersion also led to variations in spelling, such as "Bostick", "Bostwick", and "Bostock".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bostick
Among Census respondents with the surname Bostick, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bostick 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 Bostick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.3% · 3,906
- Black or African American37.2% · 2,777
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 388
- Two or more races4.4% · 332
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bostick
Bostick 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
#4,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,957
+343 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#4,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,472
-485 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,314 | 7,614 | 2.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,460 | 7,957 | 2.70 | +343 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #4,606 | 7,472 | 2.50 | -485 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 146 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 Bostick 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 | #4,460 | #4,606 | -3.3% |
| Count | 7,957 | 7,472 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.70 | 2.50 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bostick bearers went from 7,957 to 7,472 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,460 to #4,606.
FAQ
Bostick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bostick?
Name Census estimates that about 8,568 living Americans carry the surname Bostick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,004 residents.
How common is Bostick?
Bostick ranks #4,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.50 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 7,472 people with the surname Bostick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,568), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.50 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 Bostick.
Has Bostick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bostick went from 7,957 recorded bearers to 7,472. That is a decrease of 485 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,460 to #4,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Bostick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bostick, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Bostick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.3% (3,906 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bostick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.3%), Black (37.2%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Bostick (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 Bostick mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Bōsa's stick," likely referring to a boundary marker. 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 Bostick (2.50 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 people have the last name Bostick?
You can see how many people are called Bostick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.