2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Osiek
A topographic name for someone living near a marshy or swampy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Osiek. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osiek 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Osiek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osiek
The surname Osiek is of Polish origin, derived from the Polish word "osiek," which refers to a clearing or glade in a forest. The name likely originated in the 13th or 14th century, during the formation of many Polish surnames.
Osiek was a common place name in Poland, and the surname may have been adopted by people who lived in or near one of these settlements. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries, such as tax records and land registers.
One notable historical figure with the surname Osiek was Jan Osiek (c. 1500-1570), a Polish theologian and writer who served as a rector at the University of Krakow. He was known for his works on philosophy and theology, including a treatise on the immortality of the soul.
In the 17th century, Maciej Osiek (1628-1695) was a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish wars. He was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield and was awarded the title of "Defender of the Homeland" for his service.
Another prominent individual with the surname Osiek was Józef Osiek (1798-1876), a Polish writer and poet who was active during the Romantic period. He is best known for his epic poem "The Last Sobieski," which depicts the life of King John III Sobieski and the battles against the Ottoman Empire.
During the 19th century, Feliks Osiek (1830-1905) was a Polish engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
In the early 20th century, Wacław Osiek (1892-1965) was a Polish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and exhibited his works throughout Europe.
The surname Osiek has a long and rich history in Poland, reflecting the country's cultural and historical heritage. While it may have originated as a place name, it has since become a distinctive Polish surname with notable bearers in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osiek
Among Census respondents with the surname Osiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Osiek 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 Osiek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osiek
Osiek 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,322 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 1,322 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,354 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 Osiek 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 | #144,141 | #146,495 | -1.6% |
| Count | 115 | 114 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osiek bearers went from 115 to 114 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #146,495.
FAQ
Osiek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osiek?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Osiek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Osiek?
Osiek ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Osiek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Osiek.
Has Osiek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osiek went from 115 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Osiek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osiek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Osiek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osiek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (2.6%). 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 Osiek (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 Osiek mean?
A topographic name for someone living near a marshy or swampy area. 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 Osiek (0.04 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 common is the surname Osiek?
You can see how many people have the surname Osiek on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.