Bos History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

Etymology of Bos

What does the name Bos mean?

The surname Bos originates from the Old Norse word "buski," meaning "bush," or "woods" thus it is classed at a toponymic surname and was most likely used by a man who lived near a prominent bush. It is equivalent to the English surname "Bush."

Alternatively, the name could have been a metonymic occupational name from bussemaker, a maker of boxes and tins or of firearms from (Middle) Dutch bus 'box tin firearm'. 1 The Bosch variant was derived from the Dutch word "bos," which translates to mean "forest."

The variants van den Bosch and van der Bosch literally mean "den Bosch," and may denote someone who hails from the city Den Bosch. While Dutch in origin, the names are also frequented in Belgium.

Early Origins of the Bos family

The surname Bos was first found in the duchy of Brabant, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1183 which later became part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482. A search through early records revealed Hieronymus Bosch, born Jheronimus van Aken (c. 1450-1516) a Dutch painter who hailed from Brabant.

Early History of the Bos family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bos research. The years 1450, 1516, 1634, 1656, 1686, 1736, 1938 and 1996 are included under the topic Early Bos History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bos Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bosch, van den Bosch, Bos, van den Bos, Bosse and many more.

Early Notables of the Bos family

From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included

Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516), Dutch painter who's work is well-known for the use of fantastic imagery to illustrate moral and religious concepts

Bos World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bos is the 9,739^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Bos is ranked the 2,296^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,805 people with that name. 3 And in Netherlands, the name Bos is the 13^rd popular surname with an estimated 39,388 people with that name. 4

Bos migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bos Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cornelis Teunissen Bos, who landed in New York in 1631 5
Jan Willernsz Bos, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1646 5
Hendrick Bos, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1660 5
Jan Peterse Bos, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1690 5

Bos Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Bos, who arrived in New York in 1709 5
Kasper Bos, who landed in New York in 1709 5
Hans Janz Bos, who arrived in New York in 1709 5

Bos Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wilhelmina Bos, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 5
Georg Nikol Bos, who landed in Brazil in 1825 5
Franz Nikol Bos, who arrived in Brazil in 1825 5
M Bos, who arrived in America in 1844 5
Miss Bos, who landed in North America in 1846 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bos (post 1700) +

William S. Bos, American politician, Supervisor of Muskegon Township, Michigan, 1914-17 6
Frederik Bos (1866-1931), Dutch politician
Petrus Andreas Maria Bos (b. 1950), Dutch actor
Loek Bos (b. 1946), Dutch cartoonist, painter and sculptor
Jan Ritzema Bos (1850-1928), Dutch plant pathologist
Willem Hendrik van den Bos (1896-1974), Dutch South African astronomer
Alida "Alie" Johanna van den Bos (1902-2003), Dutch Olympic gymnast
Jasper van den Bos (1634-1656), Dutch Golden Age marine painter
Michiel "M.C.A." van den Bos (b. 1975), Dutch musician
Cornelis Willem Bos (1506-1555), Flemish engraver, printseller and book publisher
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hanks Patricia, Flavia Hodges, Mills A.D., Room Adrian, The Oxford Names Companion. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-19-860561-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html