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

Osby, 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 Osby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osby in America

Osby is the 17798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osby surname appeared 1,573 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 Osby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osby 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 Osby

The surname Osby has its origins in Sweden, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old Norse word "ös," which means "mouth of a river," and the suffix "-by," meaning "village" or "settlement." This suggests that the name originally referred to a village or settlement located near the mouth of a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Osby can be found in the Diplomatarium Suecanum, a collection of Swedish medieval charters and diplomatic documents, dating back to the 13th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a landowner or nobleman from the region.

In the 14th century, there are records of an individual named Olof Osby, who was a prominent figure in the Swedish legal system and served as a lagman, or judge, in the province of Småland. This suggests that the Osby family had established itself as part of the local nobility during this time.

The name Osby is also closely associated with the town of Osby, located in the southern Swedish province of Skåne. The town's name is derived from the same Old Norse roots as the surname, indicating that the Osby family may have held lands or authority in this area during the medieval period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Osby:

1. Svante Osby (1548-1612), a Swedish theologian and bishop of the Diocese of Västerås.
2. Erik Osby (1670-1734), a Swedish military officer who served in the Great Northern War under King Charles XII.
3. Anna Osby (1722-1798), a Swedish artist known for her intricate embroidery and needlework.
4. Johan Osby (1801-1871), a Swedish entrepreneur and industrialist who established several successful textile mills in the 19th century.
5. Knut Osby (1878-1945), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag, the national legislature.

While the name Osby is relatively uncommon today, it remains a recognizable Swedish surname with deep historical roots in the country's medieval past, particularly in the southern regions of Småland and Skåne.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osby

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

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

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

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