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

Osei, 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 Osei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osei in America

Osei is the 15639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osei surname appeared 1,868 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 Osei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osei 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 Osei

The surname "OSEI" originates from the Akan people of Ghana, in West Africa. It first appeared in the 16th century during the height of the great Ashanti Empire. The name is derived from the Akan word "osi" which means "to fight bravely" or "to prevail in battle".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the oral histories and legends of the Ashanti people, where it is mentioned that an Osei was a renowned warrior and chief during the expansion of the empire under the reign of Osei Tutu I in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name Osei appeared in several European accounts and records of encounters with the Ashanti people, such as the writings of British explorer Thomas Edward Bowdich who visited the Ashanti capital of Kumasi in 1817.

A notable bearer of the name was Nana Osei Bonsu, a powerful Ashanti chief and military leader who led the resistance against the British during the Anglo-Ashanti Wars in the late 19th century. Another was Nana Osei Kwadwo, the Asantehene (king) of the Ashanti Empire from 1888 to 1900.

In the early 20th century, the name Osei was borne by Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II, the Asantehene from 1931 to 1970, who played a significant role in the independence movement of Ghana and the transition from British colonial rule.

Another notable figure was J.E. Casely Hayford, a Ghanaian writer, scholar, and political leader who was born Joseph Ephraim Osei in 1866. He was a prominent figure in the early nationalist movement and a advocate for self-government in the British Gold Coast colony.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osei

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

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

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

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