2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Osmers
An English surname derived from an Old English personal name meaning "divine helmet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Osmers. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osmers 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Osmers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osmers
The surname Osmers is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the southern counties of Kent and Sussex, during the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "os" meaning "ox" and "mere" meaning "marsh" or "pond", suggesting that it may have referred to someone who lived near an ox marsh or pond.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a person named John Osmere is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period. Another early reference is in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a Thomas Osmer.
The Osmers name has also been linked to various place names in southern England, such as Osmers Marsh in Kent and Osmers Farm in Sussex. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
In terms of notable individuals with the surname, one of the earliest was Sir Thomas Osmers (c.1400-1483), a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Kent during the 15th century. Another early figure was William Osmers (c.1510-1570), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London.
During the 17th century, the Osmers family produced several notable members, including John Osmers (1620-1692), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated to New England, and Edward Osmers (1650-1718), a respected lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London.
In the 18th century, one of the most prominent figures with the surname was Sir Nathaniel Osmers (1710-1789), a successful merchant and Member of Parliament for the Borough of Southwark. He was known for his philanthropy and support of various charitable causes.
As the centuries progressed, the Osmers name continued to be found across various professions and locations, with individuals such as the artist William Osmers (1810-1876), the explorer and naturalist Henry Osmers (1840-1912), and the renowned academic and author Sir James Osmers (1880-1958) contributing to the rich history of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osmers
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Osmers 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 Osmers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino11.0% · 11
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osmers
Osmers 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 775 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 775 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 Osmers 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 | #154,907 | #155,682 | -0.5% |
| Count | 105 | 100 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osmers bearers went from 105 to 100 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 775 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #155,682.
FAQ
Osmers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osmers?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Osmers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Osmers?
Osmers ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Osmers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Osmers.
Has Osmers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osmers went from 105 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #154,907 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Osmers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osmers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Osmers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osmers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (11.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Osmers (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 Osmers mean?
An English surname derived from an Old English personal name meaning "divine helmet". 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 Osmers (0.03 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 Osmers?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Osmers on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.