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

Osen, 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 Osen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osen in America

Osen is the 63218th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osen surname appeared 316 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Osen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osen 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 Osen

The surname Osen originated in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Sweden. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word "ǫs," meaning "estuary" or "mouth of a river." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near the mouth of a river or by a coastal inlet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Osen can be traced back to the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 12th century. In this collection, the name appears as "Osæn," which is likely an earlier spelling variation.

During the Middle Ages, the Osen name was predominantly concentrated in the coastal regions of western Norway, particularly in areas like Møre og Romsdal and Sogn og Fjordane. This aligns with the name's potential connection to coastal settlements or river mouths.

Notable individuals bearing the Osen surname include Guttorm Osen (c. 1430-1500), a Norwegian nobleman and landowner who held significant influence in the region of Trøndelag during the late 15th century. Additionally, Jens Osen (c. 1550-1621) was a prominent Norwegian merchant and ship owner who played a crucial role in the development of trade routes between Norway and other European countries.

In Sweden, the Osen name can be traced back to the Kalmar Union period (1397-1523), when Sweden, Norway, and Denmark were united under a single monarch. During this time, the name was found in regions such as Bohuslän and Dalsland, which were historically part of Norway but later became part of Sweden.

One of the earliest recorded Swedish individuals with the Osen surname was Olof Osen (c. 1540-1610), a wealthy landowner and farmer from the Dalsland region. Another notable figure was Knut Osen (c. 1620-1690), a Swedish military officer who fought in the Scanian War against Denmark in the late 17th century.

While the name Osen is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be found in both Norway and Sweden, reflecting its deep-rooted history and connections to the coastal regions of Scandinavia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osen

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

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

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

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