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

Bosworth, 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 Bosworth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bosworth in America

Bosworth is the 6454th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bosworth surname appeared 5,260 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 Bosworth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bosworth 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 Bosworth

The surname Bosworth has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bos" and "worth," meaning "a farm or enclosure where cattle were kept." This suggests that the name originally referred to a location or settlement where cattle farming was a significant activity.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bosworth can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Boseworth" and "Boseuurde," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Bosworth was Richard de Bosworth, who was mentioned in records from Leicestershire in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Bosworth (1789-1876), an English philologist and Anglo-Saxon scholar known for his seminal work, "A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language."

The name Bosworth is also closely associated with the historic Battle of Bosworth Field, which took place in 1485 and marked the end of the Wars of the Roses. This battle was fought near the village of Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, and the name Bosworth itself is derived from the Old English "Boseworth," meaning "Bosa's enclosure or farm."

Other notable individuals with the surname Bosworth include Joseph Bosworth (1789-1876), an English clergyman and Anglo-Saxon scholar; Newton Bosworth (1805-1856), an American inventor and manufacturer; and Brian Bosworth (born 1965), a former American football player and actor.

Throughout history, the surname Bosworth has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Bosworth Field, Bosworth Hall, and Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, all of which are located in Leicestershire, England. The name has also been spelled in various ways, including Bosworthe, Boswurth, and Boseworth, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bosworth

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

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

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

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