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

Osborn, 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 Osborn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osborn in America

Osborn is the 1078th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osborn surname appeared 32,439 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Osborn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osborn 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 Osborn

The surname Osborn originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Osbeorn, which means "divine bear" or "bear revered by God." The name was initially used as a given name before becoming a hereditary surname.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Osbern and Osberne. These early spellings reflect the variations in spelling that were common before standardization occurred.

In the 13th century, the name began to appear in its modern form, Osborn, and variants such as Osborne and Osburn were also recorded. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors.

The Osborn surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire in the medieval period. It is believed that some early bearers of the name may have taken their surname from place names like Osborn in Staffordshire or Osborn Parva in Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Osborn was John Osborn, who was born around 1250 in Derbyshire. He is mentioned in local records from the late 13th century.

Another notable figure was Sir Peter Osborn (c. 1510-1592), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1583. He was a prominent figure in the city's commercial and political life during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Francis Osborn (1592-1659) was a British writer and advisor to King Charles I. He authored several works on historical and political subjects, including "Advice to a Son" and "Traditional Memoirs on the Reign of King James I."

The Osborn family also had connections to the American colonies. Thomas Osborn (1632-1689) was an early settler in East Hampton, Long Island, and served as a magistrate and deputy to the General Court of Connecticut.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Osborn was Sherard Osborn (1822-1875), a British naval officer and explorer who conducted surveys and expeditions in the Arctic regions. He published several books about his experiences, including "Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal" and "The Discovery of the North-West Passage."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osborn

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

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

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

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