2000
#3,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,066
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.73
Uncommon Last name
Oshea
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name meaning "hawk-like."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,931 Americans carry the last name Oshea. That puts it at #3,366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,728 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oshea surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oshea with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,728
Census rank
#3,366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,404 bearers of the surname Oshea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oshea
The surname OSHEA originated in Ireland, with its earliest roots traced back to the 9th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Ó Séaghdha," which means "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name derived from the old Irish word "séaghdha," meaning "hawk" or "falcon."
The OSHEA name is predominantly associated with County Kerry and neighboring regions in southwestern Ireland. It is believed to have originated among the Dál gCais, a powerful dynasty that ruled over the region during the medieval period. The name is closely linked to the ancient territory of Iveragh, situated in the Iveragh Peninsula of County Kerry.
One of the earliest recorded references to the OSHEA name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a medieval Irish chronicle dating back to the 12th century. The annals mention several members of the OSHEA family, including Diarmaid Ó Séaghdha, who was killed in a battle against the Normans in 1180.
In the 16th century, the OSHEA clan played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Munster. One notable figure from this period was Domhnall Ó Séaghdha, who served as the chief of the OSHEA clan and led his forces in support of the rebel leader, Gerald Fitzgerald, the 16th Earl of Desmond.
Another prominent individual bearing the OSHEA surname was Seán Ó Séaghdha (1586-1667), a renowned Irish scholar and poet. He was a skilled genealogist and chronicler, contributing to the preservation of Irish history and literature during a turbulent period.
In the 18th century, Tadhg Ó Séaghdha (1717-1796) was a celebrated Irish-language poet and scribe from County Kerry. His works, which covered a wide range of subjects, including religious themes and praise poems for local patrons, are considered significant contributions to the Irish literary tradition.
Liam Ó Séaghdha (1828-1901) was a notable figure in the Irish cultural revival movement of the 19th century. He was a skilled stonemason and poet who helped preserve and promote the Irish language and cultural heritage through his works and advocacy.
As the OSHEA name spread beyond Ireland, it gained recognition in various parts of the world. One notable example is John O'Shea (1944-2001), an Australian actor and director who had a successful career in television and film, appearing in popular shows like "A Country Practice" and "The Sullivans."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oshea
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Oshea bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Oshea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 9,610
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 404
- Two or more races2.2% · 226
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 94
- Black or African American0.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oshea
Oshea appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,531
+465 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Down 137 places
2020
#3,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,404
-127 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 3.48
Rank movement Up 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,258 | 10,066 | 3.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,395 | 10,531 | 3.57 | +465 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 137 places |
| 2020 | #3,366 | 10,404 | 3.48 | -127 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 29 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Oshea surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,395 | #3,366 | 0.9% |
| Count | 10,531 | 10,404 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.57 | 3.48 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oshea bearers went from 10,531 to 10,404 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,395 to #3,366.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Oshea
FAQ
Oshea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oshea?
Name Census estimates that about 11,931 living Americans carry the surname Oshea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,728 residents.
How common is Oshea?
Oshea ranks #3,366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,404 people with the surname Oshea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,931), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Oshea.
Has Oshea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oshea went from 10,531 recorded bearers to 10,404. That is a decrease of 127 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,395 to #3,366.
What does the Census say about the background of Oshea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshea, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oshea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (9,610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oshea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Oshea (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Oshea mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Séaghdha, meaning "descendant of Séaghdha," a personal name meaning "hawk-like." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Oshea (3.48 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Oshea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.