Osian
A Welsh name derived from the word "osian" meaning "handsome or accomplished youth".
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Osian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Osian today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Osian births was 2017 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Osian. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Osian with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Osian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
2017
9 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,609
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Osian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Osian from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 32 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Osian 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 Osian 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 Osian
The name Osian is believed to have originated from the Welsh language, with its roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh word "osian," which means "to kindle" or "to ignite." This suggests that the name may have been associated with fire or igniting passions.
In Welsh mythology, Osian was the name of a legendary warrior and bard who was the son of the famous poet Taliesin. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, as well as his poetic talents. The name appears in various ancient Welsh literary works, such as the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Osian can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional narratives that date back to the 9th or 10th century. The Triads mention Osian ap Rhodri, a prince of Gwynedd who lived in the late 6th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Osian. One of the most famous was Osian Gwyddoniaid (fl. 1470-1510), a Welsh poet and grammarian who contributed significantly to the development of the Welsh literary tradition. Another notable figure was Osian Powell (1853-1927), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Wales.
In the realm of art, Osian Ward (1786-1849) was a prominent Welsh landscape painter known for his depictions of the Welsh countryside. Osian Ellis (1928-1986) was a renowned Welsh poet and playwright who was instrumental in reviving the Welsh language and culture in the 20th century.
Lastly, Osian Roberts (1958-2021) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a defender for various clubs, including Swansea City and Wrexham. He later became a successful football manager, leading several teams in Wales and England.
People
Osian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Osian 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
Osian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Osian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Osian 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Osian a common name?
We classify Osian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Osian most popular?
The single biggest year for Osian was 2017, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Osian is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Osian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Osian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Osian 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.
Is Osian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Osian in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Osian can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Osian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.