Contents [hide]

Bloss History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Bloss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Bloss is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bloss family lived in Leicestershire, Suffolk, and Worcestershire. The family name, however, is not a reference to any of those locations, but to the family's residence prior to the Norman Conquest, in Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher region of France.

Early Origins of the Bloss family

The surname Bloss was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat since the reign of Richard I or King John. 1 However, some of the family were established at Bishop's Waltham in Southampton at early times. "Here are the remains of the once magnificent palace annexed to the see of Winchester, built in 1135 by Bishop Henry de Blois, brother of King Stephen, and greatly embellished by Wykeham. Henry II. held a great council in this palace in 1182." 2

Early History of the Bloss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bloss research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1135, 1154, 1205, 1219, 1327, 1497, 1600, 1634, 1686 and 1997 are included under the topic Early Bloss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bloss Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Bloss are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bloss include Bloss, Blos, Blois, Bloy, Bleys, Blosse, Bloyce and many more.

Early Notables of the Bloss family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Blosse, the Sheriff of Norwich in the early 1600s

Bloss Ranking

In the United States, the name Bloss is the 14,405^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Bloss migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Bloss, or a variant listed above:

Bloss Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Bloss, aged 40, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Francis" 4

Bloss Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Bloss who arrived in America in 1754
Peter Bloss who arrived in Philadelphia in 1766

Bloss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cathr Bloss, aged 50, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "New York" in 1817 5
Joh Bloss, aged 21, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Superior" in 1840 5
Anna Bloss, aged 21, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Oneida" in 1842 5
J. Bloss, aged 20, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Elizabeth Denison" in 1844 5
Anna Margaretha Bloss, aged 27, who arrived in Ellis Island, New York aboard the ship "Johanna Cornelia" in 1846 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bloss migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bloss Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

G. Bloss, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Sommerfield" in 1899 6

Bloss Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

M. Bloss, who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Roon" in 1912 6
Mrs. E. D. L. Bloss, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Khiva" in 1922 6
Mr. P. W. L. Bloss, who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Khiva" in 1922 6
Mr. C. Bloss, who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Moldavia" in 1925 6
Mr. A. Bloss, who arrived in Brisbane, Australia aboard the ship "Orsova" in 1928 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bloss (post 1700) +

William H. "Bill" Bloss (1859-1921), first American football coach at Oregon State University in 1893
Margaret Varner Bloss (b. 1927), American athlete and professor of physical education
Samuel L. Bloss, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 16th District, 1875 7
S. C. Bloss, American Republican politician, Speaker of the Kansas State House of Representatives, 1935-36 7
Harvey Bloss, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wayne County, 1940 7
Harold L. Bloss, American Republican politician, Member of New York Republican State Committee, 1950, 1963 7
Arthur E. Bloss (b. 1894), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bethlehem, 1923-24 7
Rainer Bloss (1946-2015), German electronic musician
Nick Bloss (b. 1967), British classical pianist and author
Tim Bloss, Assistant Professor of Biology at James Madison University

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Ellis Island Search retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
National Archives of Australia Retrieved 9th February 2023. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/PassengerListing.aspx
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html