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

Osness, 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 Osness surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osness in America

Osness is the 65782nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osness surname appeared 301 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Osness.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osness 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 Osness

The surname "Osness" is of Norwegian origin and is believed to have originated in the 19th century. It is derived from the Old Norse word "oss," which means "river mouth" or "estuary." The name likely referred to someone who lived near the mouth of a river or estuary.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Osness" can be found in Norwegian census records and church records from the mid-19th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Ole Osness, born in 1832 in Rogaland, Norway. He was a farmer and fisherman who lived near the mouth of the Bokna River.

In the late 19th century, many Norwegians emigrated to the United States, and some of those with the surname "Osness" settled in the Midwest, particularly in Minnesota and Wisconsin. One notable individual was Hans Osness (1856-1938), a Norwegian-American farmer and community leader who settled in Goodhue County, Minnesota, in the 1880s.

Another early bearer of the name was Ingrid Osness (1870-1952), a Norwegian immigrant who settled in Seattle, Washington, in the late 19th century. She worked as a seamstress and was active in the local Norwegian-American community.

In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname "Osness" made notable contributions in various fields. One such person was Olaf Osness (1901-1987), a Norwegian-American educator and author who wrote extensively about Norwegian culture and history.

Another notable figure was Bjarne Osness (1924-2001), a Norwegian-born scientist who made significant contributions to the field of geophysics. He worked for the U.S. Geological Survey and was involved in research on earthquake hazards and seismic risk assessment.

While the surname "Osness" is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and fields of expertise.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osness

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

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

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

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