History of your Surname
Get access to Boss family records.Start a free trial

Boss Family History

Boss Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Bos from ancient Germanic Boso based on the element bōs ‘bad evil wild angry’. English: nickname for a hunchback from Middle English Old French boce bos ‘protuberance swelling’ (compare Bossard ). German (also Böss): from a short form of the personal name Borkhart a variant of Burkhart . This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Possibly also an Americanized form of South German Bös (see Bos ). Danish: variant of Buus . Americanized form of French Bourgeois .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Bosse, Buss, Ross, Bos, Oss, Koss, Foss, Bost, Bess, Bass

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Boss family from?

You can see how Boss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Boss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Boss families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 85 Boss families living in Ontario. This was about 29% of all the recorded Boss's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Boss families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Boss surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Boss ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Boss. 49% of Boss men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Boss women worked as a Housewife. .

View Census Data for Boss | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    49%
  • Labourer
    13%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Fisherman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housewife
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Boss family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 75,000 census records available for the last name Boss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Boss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Boss

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Boss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Boss immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Boss. For the veterans among your Boss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Boss military records

You've only scratched the surface of Boss family history

Discover More

What is the average Boss lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Boss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Boss in 1944 was 62, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Boss

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Boss family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Boss last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial