Bost History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Etymology of Bost

What does the name Bost mean?

The surname Bost is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The name Bost is derived from the Old French word "bois," which means "wood," and indicates that the original bearer lived near a wooded area, such as a forest. 1

Early Origins of the Bost family

The surname Bost was first found in various parts of Scotland including Hugo Delboys who witnessed a confirmation charter by Hugh, Bishop of St. Andrews c. 1185-1188 according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. A few years later, Richard del Bois witnessed a confirmation charter of fishery in Torduf between 1194 and 1211. 2

About the same time, Walterus de Bosco witnessed a charter by Robert the Bruce c. 1190. Robert Boys was listed in Dumfriesshire c. 1259. Willelmus de Bosch or de Bosco, cancellarius domini regis, appears frequently as witness in the chartularies of Soltre, Glasgow, Kelso, Brechin, and Arnbroath between 1189-1222. Gaufridus de Bosco, Humphrey de Bosco, and Thomas de Bosco appear as charter witnesses between 1215-1245. Robert Boys is recorded in Dumfriesshire, c. 1259. 2

The Scottish branch of this ancient Norman family likely moved north from England to their first place of landing and settlement after the Conquest, as many of the earliest records of the family in Scotland were almost 100 years later. By example, Robert de Bois held estates in Buckinghamshire in 1086. The De Bois-Herbert family were barons of Halberton, Devon c. 1050.3

"Sir Humphrey de Bois, of Dryfesdale, who was slain at Lochmaben in 1333, is supposed by Dalrymple to have been the ancestor of Hector Boece, the historian." 4

Early History of the Bost family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bost research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1150, 1296, 1413, 1465, 1536, 1543, 1594, 1719 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bost History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bost Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Boyce, Boyes, Boze, Bois, Boise, Boice, Boas, Bost, Bust, Boast, Boost and many more.

Early Notables of the Bost family

Notable among the family at this time was

John Boste or Boaste (1543?-1594), was and English Catholic priest, "born of a good family at Dufton, in Westmorland, in or about 1543, and educated at Oxford. He was imprisoned in the Tower, where he...

Bost Ranking

In the United States, the name Bost is the 5,239^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 However, in France, the name Bost is ranked the 2,203^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,893 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Bost family to Ireland

Some of the Bost family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bost migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bost Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Heinrch Just Bost, who landed in New York, NY in 1709 7
Just Heinrich Bost, who arrived in New York in 1709 7
Jacob Bost, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 7
Hendrick Bost, who arrived in New Jersey in 1730 7
Joseph Bost, who landed in New Jersey in 1730 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bost Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barbara Bost, who arrived in America in 1833 7
John Bost, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1837 7
M L Bost, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Bost (post 1700) +

Eric M. Bost, the former United States Ambassador to South Africa
Mike Bost, American Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Paul Bost (1905-1974), American racecar driver
Mrs. W. T. Bost, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1944 8
Tracy Bost (b. 1963), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 2004 8
Sara B. Bost (b. 1948), American politician, Mayor of Irvington, New Jersey, 1994-2002 8
L. H. Bost, American Democratic Party politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Stanly County, 1915-16 8
John W. Bost, American politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1881-83, 1887-89 8
Eric M. Bost, American politician, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, 2006-07 8
Jean Antoine Bost (1817-1881), Swiss Calvinist pastor and musician
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 1 of 3
"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/
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