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

Osgood, 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 Osgood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osgood in America

Osgood is the 5619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osgood surname appeared 6,186 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Osgood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osgood 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 Osgood

The surname Osgood originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Osegod, which is composed of the elements "os" meaning "god" and "god" meaning "good". The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who was considered a devout or virtuous individual.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Osgood can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed in various forms, such as Osgod, Osgot, and Osgodde.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a certain Roger Osgod was mentioned in 1166. Another early record is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire from 1199, which mentions a William Osgod.

The surname Osgood has its roots in several English counties, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in the village of Osgodby in Yorkshire, which was once known as Osgodby or Osgodebi.

One notable individual with the surname Osgood was Samuel Osgood (1747-1813), an American merchant and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as the first Postmaster General of the United States from 1789 to 1791 under President George Washington.

Another prominent figure was Frances Sargent Osgood (1811-1850), an American poet and writer from Massachusetts. She was a well-known literary figure in her time and published several collections of poetry.

In the 19th century, Peter Osgood (1847-1913) was a British clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Ely from 1905 until his death.

John Fell Osgood (1835-1912) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Lastly, Howard Osgood (1872-1915) was an American architect from New York who designed several notable buildings, including the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C., and the New York State Education Building in Albany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osgood

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

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

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

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