2000
#5,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.98
Rare Last name
Osteen
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "east town" or "town to the east."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,926 Americans carry the last name Osteen. That puts it at #6,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osteen 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
5.9K
1 in 57,839
Census rank
#6,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,168 bearers of the surname Osteen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osteen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osteen
The surname Osteen originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "osten" or "ost," which referred to a place where oxen were kept or an inn where travelers could find lodging.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Osten" and "Ostene." These records indicate that the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, the name took on various spellings, such as "Ostein," "Osteyn," and "Osteine," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. Some early record holders of the name include John Ostene, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1205, and William Ostein, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1279.
The name Osteen is also associated with several place names in England, such as Osten in Nottinghamshire and Osten Hill in Warwickshire. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Osteen throughout history include:
1. Sir Henry Osteen (c. 1540 - 1610), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1607 to 1608.
2. John Osteen (1621 - 1692), an English Puritan clergyman and author who was known for his theological writings and sermons.
3. Elizabeth Osteen (1682 - 1758), a British landowner and philanthropist who founded several schools and orphanages in her native county of Lincolnshire.
4. William Osteen (1770 - 1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval General Service Medal for his distinguished service.
5. Emily Osteen (1856 - 1925), an American educator and women's rights advocate who played a significant role in establishing several schools for girls in the Southern United States.
While the surname Osteen has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the annals of English history and nomenclature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osteen
Among Census respondents with the surname Osteen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Osteen 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 Osteen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 4,480
- Black or African American5.2% · 271
- Two or more races4.0% · 205
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osteen
Osteen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,497
+156 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 290 places
2020
#6,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,168
-329 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,933 | 5,341 | 1.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,223 | 5,497 | 1.86 | +156 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 290 places |
| 2020 | #6,329 | 5,168 | 1.73 | -329 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 106 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 Osteen 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 | #6,223 | #6,329 | -1.7% |
| Count | 5,497 | 5,168 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.73 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osteen bearers went from 5,497 to 5,168 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,223 to #6,329.
FAQ
Osteen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osteen?
Name Census estimates that about 5,926 living Americans carry the surname Osteen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,839 residents.
How common is Osteen?
Osteen ranks #6,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,168 people with the surname Osteen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,926), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Osteen.
Has Osteen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osteen went from 5,497 recorded bearers to 5,168. That is a decrease of 329 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,223 to #6,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Osteen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osteen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Osteen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (4,480 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osteen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Osteen (2000, 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 Osteen mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "east town" or "town to the east." 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 Osteen (1.73 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 many people share the surname Osteen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.