2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Osit
A name derived from the Italian word "osito" meaning little bone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Osit. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osit 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Osit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osit, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.1%) and Black (21.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osit
The surname OSIT has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name OSIT is believed to be derived from the Old Slavic word "osit," which referred to a type of reed or grass that grew abundantly in the marshy areas of Eastern Europe. It's possible that the name was originally given to someone who lived near or worked with these reeds, perhaps as a thatcher or basket weaver.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OSIT can be found in a Polish census record from the late 15th century, which lists a family by the name of Osytow living in the village of Krakow. Similar variations of the name, such as Osytowicz and Osytski, were also documented in various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during this time.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Jan Osit (1520-1587) was a renowned scholar and theologian from the city of Lublin, Poland. He is known for his works on moral philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the Renaissance period.
Another notable individual with the surname OSIT was Andrzej Osit (1673-1745), a Polish military commander who fought in the Great Northern War against the Swedish Empire. He was particularly recognized for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Poltava in 1709.
During the 18th century, the OSIT surname also appeared in various records from the Russian Empire, as many Polish families migrated eastward due to political and economic factors. One such example is Mikhail Osit (1745-1810), a Russian merchant and landowner from the city of Smolensk.
In the 19th century, a Ukrainian writer and poet named Oleksandr Osit (1825-1892) gained recognition for his works that celebrated the cultural heritage and folklore of his homeland. His poems and stories were widely published and helped to preserve the traditions of the Ukrainian people.
While the surname OSIT has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its earliest origins and historical significance can be traced back to the Slavic regions and the linguistic and cultural influences of that area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osit
Among Census respondents with the surname Osit, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.1%) and Black (21.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Osit 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 Osit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.6% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander24.1% · 28
- Black or African American21.6% · 25
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osit
Osit appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+8 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,504 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.4%) | Up 6,504 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 Osit 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 | #151,532 | #145,028 | 4.3% |
| Count | 108 | 116 | 7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osit bearers went from 108 to 116 (+7.4% change). The surname moved up 6,504 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #145,028.
FAQ
Osit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osit?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Osit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Osit?
Osit ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Osit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Osit.
Has Osit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osit went from 108 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 8 (+7.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Osit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osit, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.1%) and Black (21.6%). 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 Osit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.6% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (24.1%), Black (21.6%). 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 Osit (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 Osit mean?
A name derived from the Italian word "osito" meaning little bone. 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 Osit (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 many people have the last name Osit?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Osit at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.