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

Oss, 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 Oss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oss in America

Oss is the 51396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oss surname appeared 405 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 Oss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oss 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 Oss

The surname "Oss" has its origins in the medieval English language, with roots tracing back to the 10th century. It is believed to have emerged from the Old English word "os," which referred to a male deer or a hart. This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who possessed certain physical or behavioral characteristics akin to a deer.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Oss" can be found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the counties of Essex and Norfolk in England. One of the earliest documented references comes from the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Osric Oss in the village of Braintree, Essex.

During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Osse," "Ose," and "Ose." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions in medieval times. One notable individual from this era was John Ose, a merchant from Norwich, Norfolk, who was recorded in the city's tax rolls in 1275.

In the 14th century, the surname "Oss" began to spread across other regions of England. Records from this period show individuals bearing the name in counties such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One prominent figure was William Oss, a landowner from Beverley, Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls in 1384.

The 15th century saw the emergence of place names associated with the surname "Oss." For instance, the village of Ossington in Nottinghamshire was recorded as "Ossinton" in various documents from this era, suggesting a connection between the surname and the place name.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "Oss." One such figure was Sir John Oss (1480-1551), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for the city of Bristol during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another was Richard Oss (1542-1619), an English clergyman and author who served as the chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence in Scotland, where it was often spelled as "Oss" or "Osse." One notable Scottish bearer of the name was James Oss (1644-1718), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The 18th century saw the "Oss" surname spread to the American colonies, with early settlers bearing the name arriving from various parts of England and Scotland. One such individual was William Oss (1725-1804), a farmer from Pennsylvania who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the 19th century, the surname "Oss" continued to be found across various regions of the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States and other parts of the English-speaking world. Notable bearers of the name during this period included Sir John Oss (1810-1882), a British politician and industrialist, and Emily Oss (1845-1923), an American author and poet.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oss

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

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

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

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