Contents [hide]

Bosworth History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Bosworth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The lineage of the name Bosworth begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in one of two parishes called Bosworth: Husband's Bosworth; and Market Bosworth, in the county of Leicestershire.

Early Origins of the Bosworth family

The surname Bosworth was first found in Leicestershire, where they had been settled from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Bosworth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bosworth research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1607, 1659, 1660, 1789 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Bosworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bosworth Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Bosworth has undergone many spelling variations, including Bosworth, Bossworth, Bosworthe, Boseworth and others.

Early Notables of the Bosworth family

Notables of the family at this time include

Reverend Joseph Bosworth of County College, British Chaplain at Rotterdam; and Roger (Robert) Bosworth (ca.1607-1660), an English physician and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1659 to...
Joseph Bosworth (1789-1876), was an English scholar of Anglo-Saxon language

Bosworth Ranking

In the United States, the name Bosworth is the 5,238^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Bosworth migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Bosworth were among those contributors:

Bosworth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Zack Bosworth who settled in Boston in 1620 and later moved to Salem in 1630
Mr. Zaccheus Bosworth, British settler from Northampton who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet he later settled in Boston 2
Mrs. Mary Bosworth, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Elizabeth Dorcas"
Nathantial Bosworth, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Elizabeth Dorcas"
John Bosworth, who arrived in New England in 1634 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bosworth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Bosworth who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765
Captain Bosworth, who settled in Boston in 1767

Bosworth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J H Bosworth, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Bosworth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bosworth Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Joseph Bosworth, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Thomas Bosworth U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 4

Bosworth migration to Australia +

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

Bosworth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Bosworth, (b. 1806), aged 27, English bar maid who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Buffalo" on 4th May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. George Bosworth, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Joseph Bosworth, (b. 1821), aged 17, English brass castor who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Joseph Bosworth, English Convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8

Bosworth migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bosworth Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Maria Bosworth, (b. 1823), aged 33, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 9
Joseph Bosworth, aged 18, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1865 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Bosworth (post 1700) +

Patricia Bosworth (1933-2020), née Crum, an American journalist and biographer, memoirist, and actress; she died of COVID-19
Stephen Warren Bosworth (1939-2016), American academic and diplomat, United States Special Representative for North Korea Policy (2009-2012), three-time U.S. Ambassador
Lauren Ogilvie "Lo" Bosworth (b. 1986), American television personality, author, and entrepreneur
Kyle Louis Bosworth (b. 1986), American football linebacker
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth (b. 1983), American actress, model and singer
David Marsh Bosworth (1897-1979), American orthopedic surgeon who developed the Bosworth fracture
David Bosworth, American writer, awarded the 1981 Drue Heinz Literature Prize and the Ingram Merrill Foundation Award
Brian Keith Bosworth (b. 1965), American former NFL football player, nicknamed "The Boz"
Adam Bosworth, American former Vice President of Product Management at Google Inc (2004-2007)
Allan R. Bosworth (1901-1986), American author, and journalist who served in the US Navy
... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Bosworth Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Animus valet
Motto Translation: Courage availeth.

Citations +

"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 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/buffalo
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html