BUSH Surname Meaning and Origin

The Bush surname has a straightforward origin, meaning one who lived near a bush.

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Bush is an English surname meaning either:

  1. Dweller near a bush or a thicket of bushes, a wood or a grove, from the Middle English bushe (probably from either the Old English word busc or the Old Norse buskr), meaning "bush."
  2. Dweller at the sign of a bush (usually a wine merchant).

The Bush surname could also be an Americanized version of the German surname Busch.

Alternate Surname Spellings: BUSCH, BISH, BYSH, BYSSHE, BUSSCHE, BUSCHER, BOSCHE, BUSHE, BOSCH, BOUSHE, CUTBUSH

Where in the World is the BUSH Surname Found?

According to WorldNames public profiler, the Bush surname is found most prevalently in the United States, with an especially strong presence in the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia and West Virginia. The name is also more popular in New Zealand and Australia, as well as England (especially the East Anglia region).

Famous People With the BUSH Surname

  • George H. W. Bush - 41st President of the United States
  • George Walker Bush - 43rd President of the United States
  • Jeb Bush - Governor of Florida from 1998–2007
  • George Washington Bush - Black pioneer settler of the Pacific Northwest
  • Reggie Bush - American football running back for the NFL
  • Sarah Bush Lincoln - Stepmother of Abraham Lincoln
  • Kate Bush - English singer-songwriter, dancer and record producer

Genealogy Resources for the Surname BUSH

Bush Surname DNA Project: Any individual with a Bush lineage (or some variant of this name, such as Busch) from anywhere in the world is encouraged to participate in this DNA study, incorporating Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Bush lineages around the world.

Bush Family Association of America: Open to all descendants of, and others actively interested in, the Bush line of Prescott and Susannah Hines Bush of Edgefield, South Carolina and Webster County, Georgia.

Bush Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Bush surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Bush surname query.

FamilySearch - BUSH Genealogy: Explore over 2 million results, including digitized records, database entries, and online family trees for the Bush surname and its variations on the FREE FamilySearch website, courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Rootsweb - BUSH Genealogy Mailing List: Join this free genealogy mailing list for discussion and sharing of information regarding the Bush surname, or search/browse the mailing list archives.

The Bush Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Bush surname from the website of Genealogy Today.

Sources

  • Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.
  • Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.
  • Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.
  • Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.
  • Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.
  • Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.
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Powell, Kimberly. "BUSH Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo, Jan. 4, 2021, thoughtco.com/bush-surname-meaning-and-origin-3862445. Powell, Kimberly. (2021, January 4). BUSH Surname Meaning and Origin. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/bush-surname-meaning-and-origin-3862445 Powell, Kimberly. "BUSH Surname Meaning and Origin." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/bush-surname-meaning-and-origin-3862445 (accessed March 29, 2024).