Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Boss isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Boss through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 451
- 451 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2018
- 16 babies
- 2025
- 7
- #9,849 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 7 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,849 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 27.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 16 in 2018. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 545 as a first name in 2020; 8,324 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Boss’s family of names
In German usage, Boss as a surname has a related form in BUSCH.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Boss, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Boone
“a good man”
>99% boys
Banks
Banks is a surname.
91% boys · 9% girls
Bodie
“one who brings news; a herald” · “one who provides shelter or is sheltered”
98% boys · 2% girls
Bowen
“the son of Owen”
97% boys · 3% girls
Bodhi
Bodhi is a masculine given name from Sanskrit.
96% boys · 4% girls
Kash
Kash is a masculine given name.
98% boys · 2% girls
Jax
“resembling the hyacinth” · “the son of Jack or John”
99% boys · 1% girls
Nash
“from the cliffs”
99% boys · 1% girls