2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Osaile
An Igbo Nigerian surname possibly derived from the word "osuala" meaning "from a distant place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Osaile. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osaile surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Osaile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osaile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osaile
The surname "OSAILE" is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Spain, possibly in the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "ossilis," which means "bony" or "skeletal." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person's physical appearance or occupation related to bones or skeletal remains.
In the 12th century, records show that a nobleman named Rodrigo Osaile held lands in the Kingdom of Aragon, indicating that the name was already established in the region by that time. During the Reconquista, when Christian kingdoms gradually reclaimed territory from the Moors, the Osaile family is believed to have played a role in the conquest of Valencia.
The earliest known written record of the name "Osaile" appears in a 1315 manuscript housed in the Archivo de la Corona de Aragón, referring to a land transaction involving a Juan Osaile. This document provides valuable insight into the spelling variations of the name during that era.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Isabel Osaile gained recognition as a renowned healer and herbalist in the city of Zaragoza. Her expertise in treating bone-related ailments and injuries may have been influenced by the name's connection to the word "ossilis."
Another prominent individual bearing the Osaile surname was Javier Osaile (1620-1687), a Spanish military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War. He is credited with leading a successful defense of the city of Lleida against French forces in 1646.
During the Age of Exploration, the name Osaile also found its way to the Americas. One of the earliest recorded instances was Pedro Osaile (1570-1642), a Spanish explorer and cartographer who accompanied expeditions to the Caribbean and Central America in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, María Osaile (1735-1812) gained recognition as a skilled weaver and textile artist in the city of Valencia. Her intricate tapestries, often featuring skeletal motifs inspired by the name's meaning, were highly sought after by the nobility and clergy.
Throughout its history, the surname "Osaile" has been associated with various place names and regional variants, such as "Osaille" in the Basque region, "Osalles" in Catalonia, and "Ossaile" in parts of Aragon. These variations reflect the linguistic diversity and cultural influences that have shaped the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osaile
Among Census respondents with the surname Osaile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Osaile bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Osaile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Black or African American4.3% · 5
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osaile
Osaile appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,616 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,616 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Osaile surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #144,141 | #145,757 | -1.1% |
| Count | 115 | 115 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osaile bearers went from 115 to 115 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,616 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,757.
FAQ
Osaile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osaile?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Osaile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Osaile?
Osaile ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Osaile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Osaile.
Has Osaile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osaile went from 115 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Osaile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osaile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Black (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Osaile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osaile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (5.2%), Black (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Osaile (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Osaile mean?
An Igbo Nigerian surname possibly derived from the word "osuala" meaning "from a distant place". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Osaile (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Osaile?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Osaile, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.