Osby
A masculine Scandinavian name of uncertain etymology.
Name Census estimates that about 36 living Americans carry the first name Osby. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Osby today is around 76 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Osby births was 1922 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Osby. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Osby is about 76 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Osbys were born before 1960.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Osby. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
36
~ 1 in 9,520,954 Americans
Peak year
1922
10 babies that year
Average age
76
years old
1970 SSA rank
#4,588
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Osby: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Osby from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 51 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Osby by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Osby during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Osby
The name Osby is a Scandinavian name with origins dating back to the Viking age. It is derived from the Old Norse words "ōs" meaning "river mouth" and "býr" meaning "village" or "settlement". This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived in a village located near the mouth of a river.
During the Viking era, the name was commonly found in areas of modern-day Sweden and Norway, particularly in coastal regions where settlements were often established near river mouths for ease of trade and transportation. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in runic inscriptions and Norse sagas from the 9th and 10th centuries.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Osby was a Viking chieftain who led a raid on the English coastline in the late 9th century. His exploits were documented in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record compiled during the reign of King Alfred the Great.
Another notable figure was Osby Halvorsson, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the 13th century. He is mentioned in several legal documents and land deeds from the time, providing insight into the lives of ordinary people during the medieval period.
In the 16th century, Osby Eriksson was a Swedish merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the growth of maritime trade in the Baltic region. His personal correspondence and business records have been preserved, offering a glimpse into the commercial activities of the era.
During the 17th century, Osby Andersson was a respected Lutheran minister who served in various parishes across Sweden. He was known for his eloquent sermons and his dedication to educating the local populace, leaving behind a collection of writings that shed light on the religious and social climate of the time.
In the 19th century, Osby Johannesson was a Norwegian explorer and naturalist who undertook several expeditions to the Arctic regions. His detailed accounts of the flora and fauna he encountered, as well as his observations of the indigenous communities, provided valuable insights into these remote areas and their inhabitants.
While the name Osby is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of Scandinavian cultural heritage, carrying with it the legacy of the Viking age and the rich history of the region.
People
Osby + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Osby as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Osby: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Osby?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 36 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Osby going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 9,520,954 US residents.
Is Osby a common name?
We classify Osby as "Very Rare". It ranks above 49.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 150 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Osby most popular?
The single biggest year for Osby was 1922, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Osby is about 76 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Osby a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Osby in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.