Recorded in many forms including Bish, Bush, Bushe, and Bysshe (English), Busch, Buscher, Bosche, Bosch, Boschmann and Zumbusch (German), Van den Bos, Van den Bosch, Van Bosse, Tenbosch and Bosman (Dutch and Flemish), Bosma, Bosk and Bosker (Friesian), Busck and Busk (Danish and Norwegian), this is a surname which is ultimately of ancient Scandanavian origins. It derives from the pre 7th century Norse-Viking word "buski", which has the literal meaning of bush, copse or thicket and hence would describe a person who lived by such a place. However there may be other origins, the surname perhaps descending from the medieval nickname or personal name "Buski", probably referring to a person with very thick brown hair. The name may also be Ashkenasic and an illusion to the biblical story of the burning bush, from which God is supposed to spoken to Moses. It is also claimed that where the agent suffix of "-er" is used, this is a reference to an early woodman or forrester, one who worked in a wood or copse. It is unclear as to when the surname in any spelling is first recorded although Burcardus Bosshe of Gundelfingen appears in the charters of Munsingen, Germany, in the year 1246. Other examples of early recordings include Heinrich Boscher at Rottenburg in 1442, Magnus Bosma of Meisen is so recorded in 1651, and Jacob Hans Busck, a wool merchant of Gothenburg, Sweden, settled in England in 1712.

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