Find out how popular the last name Oms is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Oms.

Oms, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Oms surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oms in America

Oms is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oms surname appeared 164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Oms.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oms to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Oms

The surname "Oms" has its origins in the Scandinavian region, with roots tracing back to the Old Norse language. It is believed to have emerged around the 8th or 9th century, during the Viking Age.

One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic manuscript from the late 12th century. The text mentions an individual named Ormr, which was a common Old Norse name and a possible precursor to the modern surname Oms.

In its early form, the name was likely derived from the Old Norse word "ormr," meaning "serpent" or "snake." This could suggest that the original bearers of the name had some association with these reptiles, perhaps as a symbolic representation or a descriptive attribute.

As the name spread across Scandinavia and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Orme, Orm, and Ormsson. These variations were common during the Middle Ages, reflecting regional dialects and scribal practices.

One notable historical figure bearing the name was Orm Lendmann, a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the late 11th century. He is mentioned in the Heimskringla, a collection of Norse sagas written by the renowned Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241).

Another prominent individual was Orm Storolfsson, a Swedish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Battle of Visby in 1361. His name is recorded in contemporary chronicles and historical accounts of the conflict.

In England, the name Orms appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals with this name had settled in parts of England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Over the centuries, the surname Oms has been associated with various notable figures, including Ove Oms (1557-1611), a Danish admiral and naval commander, and Johan Oms (1712-1780), a Swedish merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the development of the Swedish East India Company.

It is worth noting that the surname Oms, while rare, can still be found in various parts of Scandinavia, as well as in countries with historical ties to the region, such as England and the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oms

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Oms.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Oms was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Oms has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Oms was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Oms, please contact us.

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