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

Bostwick, 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 Bostwick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bostwick in America

Bostwick is the 7393rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bostwick surname appeared 4,502 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 Bostwick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bostwick 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.

The history of the last name Bostwick

The surname Bostwick has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bosc" meaning bush or thicket, and "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a bushy or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1197, where a William de Bosco is mentioned. This is likely an early spelling variation of the name Bostwick.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a collection of legal records. A certain Ranulph de Bostewyk is mentioned in these records from 1272. This spelling variation highlights the potential connection between the name and a specific place name.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Bostwick. However, it does list several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Bosco in Wiltshire and Bosewrthe in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Bostwick was Sir John Bostwick, who lived in the 14th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in 1348 and 1352.

Another notable figure was Sir Roger Bostwick (1460-1530), who was a prominent landowner and served as Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1516.

In the 16th century, the Bostwick family established themselves in Cheshire, where they owned the manor of Bostwick. Arthur Bostwick (1560-1647) was a member of this branch of the family and served as Sheriff of Cheshire in 1620.

During the English Civil War, Sir John Bostwick (1592-1668) was a staunch Royalist and fought for King Charles I. He was knighted for his service in 1642.

In the 18th century, Reverend John Bostwick (1725-1805) was a notable figure. He was a Church of England clergyman who served as the rector of Sittingbourne in Kent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bostwick

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

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 Bostwick was:

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

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

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

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