Show ContentsBosia History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Lombardy emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Bosia. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Lombardy is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Bosia family lived in the city of Milan. The Bosia surname is derived from the Latin personal name "Bosius."

Early Origins of the Bosia family

The surname Bosia was first found in 1170, where Consabecco Bossi was part of the Commune of Milan.

Boso (d. 1181?), was the third English cardinal, "described by Cardella as Boso Breakspear, an Englishman by birth, the nephew of Pope Adrian IV, and a monk of the order of St. Benedict. He was a member of the monastery of St. Albans, but went to Rome to follow the fortunes of his uncle." 1

Early History of the Bosia family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bosia research. The years 1544, 1555, 1575, 1629, 1650, 1732, 1830, 1846, 1848, 1850, 1851 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Bosia History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bosia Spelling Variations

There are many variations of most of those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. Some of these come from regional differences, like the tradition of ending northern names in "o" and southern names in "i". Others come from inaccuracies in the recording process, which were extremely common in the eras before dictionaries standardized spelling. Some of the spelling variations of Bosia are Bosio, Bsio, Bsia, Bso, Bosia, Boso, Bsi, Bosi, Busio, Buosio, Busi, Buosi, Bosich, Bosèlli, Bosèllo, Boselli, Bosello, Bosè, Bose, Bosetti, Bosètti, Bosini, Bosìn, Bosin, Bosinèlli, Bosinelli, Bostti, Bosotti, Bosni, Bosoni, Bosne, Bosone, Bosani, Bosèro, Bosero, Bossa, Bossi and many more.

Early Notables of the Bosia family

Prominent among bearers of this family in early times was Iacopo Bosio, a Canavese author and poet born in the 15th century; Tomaso Bosio was a knight in Asti around this time; Giacomo Bosio was a knight in Chivasso around 1544; Tommaso Bosio was Bishop of Modena in 1555; Antonio Bosio (c.1575-1629) was an Italian scholar, the first systematic explorer of subterranean Rome, sometimes known as...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bosia Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bosia family

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Bosia, or a variant listed above: Charles Bossa, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1855.



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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