Bos
A short surname likely linked to cattle, especially the ox or bull.
The #8,665 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,420 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is likely connected with the old word for an ox or bull, ultimately from Latin *bos, bovis* meaning “ox.” In older surname formation, such a root could produce a byname for someone associated with cattle, though the exact pathway for Bos is not fully certain from the surviving sources. The name may also be influenced by related forms in French and English surnames built from the same cattle vocabulary.
History
Lower’s dictionary links Bos with a family of surnames such as Boor, Boorer, Borer, and Borrer, suggesting a shared origin in an older cattle-related word. Because Bos is very short and sparsely documented in the excerpts, its history is harder to pin down than many surnames. It is rare in the modern United States, but it persists as a concise surname with possible medieval roots.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Latin word behind this surname, *bos*, is the source of many later cattle-related words in European languages.
From the historical record
“BOS 35 EOT Bourer, Boorer, Borer and Borrer, the extra ' R' being a somewhat recent addition. These, together with the Atte-Bore, Atte-”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom