NameCensus.

UK surname

Bosson

A surname originating from the French word "bosson", meaning a thicket or small wood.

In the 1881 census there were 243 people recorded with the Bosson surname, ranking it #11,294 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 343, ranked #13,368, down from #11,294 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Astbury and Sandbach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, Newark and Sherwood and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bosson is 418 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.2%.

1881 census count

243

Ranked #11,294

Modern count

343

2016, ranked #13,368

Peak year

1999

418 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bosson had 243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,294 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016, ranked #13,368.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Bosson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bosson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bosson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bosson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 161 #12,288
1861 historical 154 #14,963
1881 historical 243 #11,294
1891 historical 228 #13,582
1901 historical 309 #11,418
1911 historical 348 #10,297
1997 modern 318 #13,024
1998 modern 406 #11,228
1999 modern 418 #11,071
2000 modern 397 #11,463
2001 modern 385 #11,534
2002 modern 388 #11,689
2003 modern 380 #11,689
2004 modern 387 #11,559
2005 modern 376 #11,730
2006 modern 366 #12,042
2007 modern 385 #11,698
2008 modern 379 #11,960
2009 modern 360 #12,688
2010 modern 362 #12,914
2011 modern 354 #12,982
2012 modern 345 #13,093
2013 modern 353 #13,104
2014 modern 354 #13,153
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 343 #13,368

Geography

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Where Bossons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Astbury, Sandbach, Church Lawton and Barthomley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, Newark and Sherwood, Staffordshire Moorlands, Wyre and Shropshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Astbury Cheshire
3 Sandbach Cheshire
4 Church Lawton Cheshire
5 Barthomley Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 006 Dover
2 Newark and Sherwood 006 Newark and Sherwood
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Wyre 007 Wyre
5 Shropshire 035 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bosson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bosson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bosson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bosson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Bosson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bosson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bosson is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bosson is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bosson falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bosson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bosson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bosson

The surname Bosson is of French origin, with its earliest recorded instances found in the northern regions of France during the late Middle Ages. The name is believed to be derived from the Old French word "bosson," meaning a small wood or thicket, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near or worked in wooded areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bosson can be traced back to the 13th century, when a certain Jehan Bosson was mentioned in the records of the Abbey of Corbie in Picardy, France, in the year 1287. This suggests that the name was already established in this region by that time.

In the 14th century, the name Bosson appeared in various historical records, such as the tax rolls and parish registers of Normandy and Brittany. For instance, a Guillame Bosson was listed in the tax records of the town of Bayeux in 1369.

The name Bosson has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One prominent figure was Jean Bosson, a French cleric and writer who lived from around 1460 to 1536. He was known for his work "Arbre des Batailles," which discussed the concept of just war and the rights of combatants.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Jacques Bosson, a French painter and engraver who lived from 1550 to 1629. He was renowned for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which adorned churches and monasteries throughout France.

In the 17th century, the name Bosson was found in various regions of France, including the southern provinces. One notable individual was Pierre Bosson, a French mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1620 to 1692. He worked as a professor at the University of Montpellier and made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The name Bosson also has connections to place names in France. For instance, the village of Bosson in the department of Ain is believed to have derived its name from the Old French word "bosson," suggesting a historical link between the surname and this particular location.

While the surname Bosson originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to immigration patterns over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in northern France, where the earliest recorded instances of this name have been found.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bosson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bosson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 125 Bossons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.62x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 125 15.62x
Cheshire 49 9.36x
Lancashire 22 0.78x
Devon 14 2.84x
Middlesex 14 0.59x
Lincolnshire 5 1.32x
Worcestershire 5 1.62x
Glamorgan 3 0.73x
Kent 3 0.37x
Anglesey 1 2.38x
Derbyshire 1 0.27x
Oxfordshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Audley in Staffordshire leads with 40 Bossons recorded in 1881 and an index of 505.05x.

Place Total Index
Audley 40 505.05x
Wolstanton 35 144.03x
Stoke Upon Trent 18 21.21x
Wolstanton Knutton 10 204.50x
Sandbach 9 201.79x
Hulme 8 13.62x
Alsager 7 538.46x
Whatcroft 7 14000.00x
Barnstaple 6 77.52x
Haslington 6 408.16x
Odd Rode 6 231.66x
Alford 5 212.77x
Biddulph 5 110.86x
Leek Lowe 5 46.95x
Pendleton In Salford 5 14.92x
Goodleigh 4 2000.00x
Kinderton Cum Hulme 4 909.09x
St George Hanover Square 4 9.58x
Wolstanton Chesterton 4 97.80x
Wolstanton Oldcott 4 137.93x
Worcester St Clement 4 203.05x
Betchton 3 447.76x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 38.31x
Hammersmith London 3 5.14x
Stockport 3 11.14x
Swansea St Thomas 3 72.29x
Heaton Norris 2 12.49x
Salford 2 2.42x
Swimbridge 2 200.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.63x
Barthomley 1 333.33x
Bishops Tawton 1 64.94x
Broughton In Salford 1 3.89x
Burslem 1 4.36x
Chorley In Macclesfield 1 62.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.24x
Church Hulme 1 185.19x
Fulham London 1 2.91x
Hampstead London 1 2.71x
Holyhead 1 12.77x
Islington London 1 0.44x
Kensington London 1 0.76x
Kings Norton 1 3.60x
Long Eaton 1 20.41x
Macclesfield 1 4.30x
Oxford St Thomas 1 14.64x
Pilton 1 61.35x
Rushton James 1 454.55x
St Marylebone London 1 0.79x
Sunbury 1 35.09x
Toxteth Park 1 1.05x
Walton On Hill 1 6.56x
Westminster St Margaret 1 8.75x
Whittington 1 60.98x
Wolstanton Thursfield 1 103.09x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bosson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 24
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 9
Hannah 8
Jane 7
Eliza 5
Martha 5
Emily 4
Ada 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Maria 2
Minnie 2
Agnes 1
Aigness 1
Alice 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Annies 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Comfort 1
Dinah 1
Dinnah 1
Elisabeth 1
Emila 1
Ethel 1
Evanglina 1
Evelin 1
Febby 1
Francis 1
Harriet 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Lucey 1
Lydia 1
Margt. 1
Marie 1
Maud 1
Millicent 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bosson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 17
John 13
James 12
William 11
Thomas 8
Arthur 5
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Edwin 2
Enoch 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Fredr.Bailey 1
Harold 1
Herbt. 1
Horace 1
Hy.Howard 1
Jno. 1
Julian 1
Lowell 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
Thurston 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bosson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bosson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 243 people were recorded with the Bosson surname. That placed it at #11,294 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bosson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 343 in 2016. That gives Bosson a modern rank of #13,368.

What does the Bosson surname mean?

A surname originating from the French word "bosson", meaning a thicket or small wood.

What does the Bosson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bosson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.