2000
#4,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Rare Last name
Bozeman
A surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Bozeman, Montana, or a similar location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,693 Americans carry the last name Bozeman. That puts it at #5,065 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,554 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bozeman 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.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,554
Census rank
#5,065
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,709 bearers of the surname Bozeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5065th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bozeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bozeman
The surname Bozeman is believed to have originated from the Old English word "bos," meaning a dwelling or a hut. It is likely that the name was initially a place name referring to a settlement or a location where people lived in huts or modest dwellings. The earliest known records of the name can be traced back to the 11th century in England.
The name Bozeman is closely associated with the English county of Hertfordshire, where it was first documented in the Domesday Book of 1086. This comprehensive survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded the name as "Bozeman" and "Boseman," indicating the presence of individuals or families bearing this surname in the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bozeman was William Bozeman, who lived in Hertfordshire in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1189, a record of financial accounts maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of Henry II.
In the 13th century, the name Bozeman appeared in various forms, including "Boseman," "Bozman," and "Bozmann." These variations likely reflect regional dialects and spelling preferences of the time. One notable individual from this period was John Bozeman, a landowner in Oxfordshire, who is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a survey of landholdings throughout England.
During the 14th century, the surname Bozeman gained prominence in other parts of England, including the county of Somerset. Here, a family by the name of Bozeman owned land and properties in the village of Bozeman's Moor, which is now known as Bossington.
In the late 15th century, a man named Thomas Bozeman gained recognition as a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was actively involved in the local government and is recorded in the city's archives from 1481 to 1504.
Another notable figure with the surname Bozeman was Sir John Bozeman, who lived in the 16th century. He was a distinguished soldier and served as a captain in the English army during the reign of Elizabeth I. Sir John Bozeman played a significant role in the English campaign against the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Over the centuries, the surname Bozeman has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, tradesmen, and professionals. While its origins can be traced back to England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bozeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bozeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bozeman 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 Bozeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.0% · 4,364
- Black or African American27.1% · 1,818
- Two or more races4.5% · 304
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 151
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bozeman
Bozeman 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
#5,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,004
+350 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Down 177 places
2020
#5,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,709
-295 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,839 | 6,654 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,016 | 7,004 | 2.37 | +350 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 177 places |
| 2020 | #5,065 | 6,709 | 2.24 | -295 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 49 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 Bozeman 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 | #5,016 | #5,065 | -1.0% |
| Count | 7,004 | 6,709 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.37 | 2.24 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bozeman bearers went from 7,004 to 6,709 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,016 to #5,065.
FAQ
Bozeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bozeman?
Name Census estimates that about 7,693 living Americans carry the surname Bozeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,554 residents.
How common is Bozeman?
Bozeman ranks #5,065 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.24 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 6,709 people with the surname Bozeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,693), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.24 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 Bozeman.
Has Bozeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bozeman went from 7,004 recorded bearers to 6,709. That is a decrease of 295 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,016 to #5,065.
What does the Census say about the background of Bozeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bozeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Bozeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (4,364 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bozeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.0%), Black (27.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Bozeman (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 Bozeman mean?
A surname derived from a place name, referring to someone from Bozeman, Montana, or a similar location. 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 Bozeman (2.24 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 Bozeman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.