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Bosley Family History

Bosley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from Boseley in Westbury on Severn Gloucestershire probably named with the Old English personal name Bōsa + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. English: habitational name from a place in Cheshire named Bosley from the Old English personal name Bōsa or Bōt + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Compare Boseley.

Americanized form of French Beausoleil especially in New England. Compare Boseley.

Altered form of German Bosler.

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


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Where is the Bosley family from?

You can see how Bosley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bosley family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Bosley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 135 Bosley families living in Berkshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Bosley's in United Kingdom. Berkshire had the highest population of Bosley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bosley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bosley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bosley. 14% of Bosley men worked as a General Labourer and 74% of Bosley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bosley were Farmer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Bosley | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Farm Labourer
    11%
  • House Painter
    9%
  • Farmer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%

What Bosley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 38,000 census records available for the last name Bosley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bosley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bosley

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Bosley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bosley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Bosley. For the veterans among your Bosley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bosley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bosley family history

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What is the average Bosley lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Bosley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bosley in 1949 was 34, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bosley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bosley ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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