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

Osbourne, 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 Osbourne surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osbourne in America

Osbourne is the 12156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osbourne surname appeared 2,563 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Osbourne.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osbourne 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 Osbourne

The surname Osbourne is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English personal name Osbeorn, which means "divine bear." It is believed to have originated in the regions of Derbyshire and Staffordshire in England during the 8th or 9th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Osbern." This record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the name evolved into various spellings such as Osbern, Osborn, and Osbourne. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.

Historically, the Osbourne family held lands and estates in various parts of England, including Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. One notable figure from this lineage was Sir John Osbourne (1552-1628), who served as a member of Parliament for Worcestershire and was knighted by King James I.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Thomas Osbourne (1632-1712), 1st Duke of Leeds. He was a prominent English statesman who served as Lord President of the Council and Lord Privy Seal under King William III and Queen Anne.

In the literary realm, Dorothy Osbourne (1627-1695) gained recognition for her letters, which provided insight into the social and cultural life of the 17th century English gentry. Her correspondences with Sir William Temple were published posthumously and became widely popular.

The name Osbourne has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Osbourne Hollow in Wiltshire and Osbourne's Hill in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers or landowners bearing the Osbourne surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Osbourne include John Osbourne (1858-1923), a British poet and playwright, and John Osbourne (1929-1994), the English playwright and screenwriter best known for his iconic play "Look Back in Anger."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osbourne

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

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

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

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