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

Osowski, 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 Osowski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osowski in America

Osowski is the 18156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osowski surname appeared 1,533 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Osowski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osowski 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 Osowski

The surname Osowski has its origins in Poland, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Old Polish word "osowa," which means "ash tree." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near an ash grove or someone who worked with ash wood.

In the early 15th century, records show variants of the name, such as Osowsky and Ossowski, appearing in various regions of Poland. These early spellings reflect the influence of local dialects on the name's evolution.

One of the earliest documented references to the Osowski name can be found in the Tarnów Land Records from 1462, where a certain Jan Osowski is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Brzeźnica.

In the 16th century, the Osowski name gained prominence with the rise of the noble family of the same name. Stanisław Osowski, born in 1520, was a prominent military leader who served under King Sigismund II Augustus and played a significant role in the Lithuanian Wars against Muscovy.

Another notable figure was Aleksander Osowski (1610-1678), a Polish-Lithuanian Catholic priest and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy and ethics.

The 17th century saw the emergence of the Osowski coat of arms, featuring an ash tree on a blue field, further solidifying the family's connection to the name's original meaning.

In the 19th century, Józef Osowski (1828-1897) gained recognition as a Polish writer and journalist, contributing to the development of Polish literature and cultural identity during the times of foreign occupation.

Halina Osowski (1901-1981), a renowned Polish actress and theater director, left a lasting legacy in the Polish performing arts scene, particularly through her work at the Stary Teatr in Kraków.

As the name spread across Poland and beyond, it underwent various linguistic adaptations, resulting in variations such as Ossowski, Osovski, and Osowsky in different regions and countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osowski

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

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

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

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