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

Ospina, 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 Ospina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ospina in America

Ospina is the 8697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ospina surname appeared 3,774 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 Ospina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ospina 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 Ospina

The surname Ospina originated in the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in Spain and Portugal. It is derived from the Latin word "hospina," which means "guest" or "host." This suggests that the name may have been given to those who worked in the hospitality industry or owned inns or guesthouses.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ospina surname can be traced back to the 12th century in medieval Spanish documents. It is believed that the name was initially concentrated in the regions of Castile and Aragon, where it gained prominence among the nobility and landed gentry.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Ospina surname was Don Pedro Ospina, a knight who participated in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to drive the Moors out of the Iberian Peninsula. Don Pedro Ospina was born around 1155 and fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile in the decisive Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.

As the name spread across Spain and Portugal, it underwent several spelling variations, such as Hospina, Ospino, and Ospino de Velasco. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local customs.

In the 16th century, the Ospina family gained prominence in the Spanish colonies of the Americas, particularly in present-day Colombia and Ecuador. One notable figure was Pedro Ospina y Maldonado, a Spanish conquistador born in 1515, who played a significant role in the colonization of present-day Colombia.

Another influential member of the Ospina family was Mariano Ospina Rodríguez, a Colombian statesman and journalist who served as the President of Colombia from 1857 to 1861. He was born in 1805 and played a pivotal role in shaping the country's political landscape during the 19th century.

In the 20th century, Pedro Nel Ospina Vázquez, a Colombian author and journalist born in 1858, gained recognition for his literary works and contributions to Colombian literature.

The Ospina surname has also produced several notable figures in the field of sports, particularly in soccer. One such individual is David Ospina, a Colombian professional soccer player born in 1988, who currently plays as a goalkeeper for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr and the Colombian national team.

While the Ospina surname has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread across the globe, with notable bearers in various countries and cultures, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's history and legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ospina

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

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

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

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