Where did the baby name Boz come from in 1978?

Boz Scaggs album "Silk Degrees" (1976).
Boz Scaggs album

The unusual name Boz was a one hit-wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1978:

  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: unlisted
  • 1978: 5 baby boys named Boz [debut]
  • 1977: unlisted
  • 1976: unlisted

Where did it come from?

William Royce “Boz” Scaggs, a singer/guitarist who was most popular during the late ’70s.

His biggest hits were “Lowdown” [vid], which peaked at #3 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in October of 1976 (and went on to win the Grammy for Best R&B Song in early 1977), and “Lido Shuffle” [vid], which peaked at #11 on the Hot 100 chart in May of 1977.

So where did Boz get that nickname? From a childhood friend, who inexplicably started called him Bosley, which was later shortened to “Boz.”

Source: Boz Scaggs – Billboard

P.S. The Lido in “Lido Shuffle” was a character, but here’s a real-life Lido.

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