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

Oosterman, 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 Oosterman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oosterman in America

Oosterman is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oosterman surname appeared 156 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 Oosterman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oosterman 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 Oosterman

The surname Oosterman originated in the Netherlands, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "oost" meaning "east" and "man" meaning "man" or "person." It is believed that the name was originally a descriptive surname given to someone who lived in or came from an eastern region or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oosterman can be found in the Dutch Reformed Church records from the city of Leiden in the year 1587, where a certain Cornelis Oosterman was mentioned. Another early reference comes from the archives of the city of Amsterdam, where a Willem Oosterman was recorded as a merchant in the year 1612.

The Oosterman surname is also found in various historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as land registries, tax records, and marriage records from various Dutch provinces, including Friesland, Groningen, and Overijssel.

One notable figure with the surname Oosterman was Jacob Oosterman, a Dutch painter who lived from 1630 to 1685. He was renowned for his still-life paintings and was a member of the famous Leiden painters' guild.

Another individual of note was Pieter Oosterman, a Dutch naval officer who served in the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the late 17th century. He was involved in several battles against the English and French in the Indian Ocean and was instrumental in establishing Dutch trade routes in the region.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Dirk Oosterman made a name for himself as a successful businessman and entrepreneur in the city of Rotterdam. He was involved in various industries, including shipbuilding and international trade.

Johanna Oosterman, born in 1856, was a pioneering Dutch feminist and activist who fought for women's rights and suffrage in the Netherlands. She was a founding member of the Dutch Women's Rights Movement (Vereniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht) and played a crucial role in the eventual granting of voting rights to Dutch women in 1919.

Lastly, a notable figure from the 20th century was Jan Oosterman, a Dutch politician who served as a member of the Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer) from 1946 to 1967, representing the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid).

While the Oosterman surname has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Dutch emigration and settlement in various countries over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oosterman

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

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 Oosterman 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 Oosterman 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 Oosterman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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