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

Osten, 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 Osten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osten in America

Osten is the 32960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osten surname appeared 695 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 Osten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osten 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 Osten

The surname Osten is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "ostan," which means "east" or "eastern," suggesting a geographical connection.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Osten name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 8th to the 15th century, where it appears as "Osten" in reference to a person or a place.

In the 12th century, the name Osten was documented in the Regesta Imperii, a series of historical records detailing the acts and documents of the Holy Roman Empire. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have held some prominence or played a role in the affairs of the empire during that era.

The Osten surname is also associated with various place names, such as Ostendorf and Ostenfeld, which further reinforces its geographical origins. These place names were likely derived from the German words "ost" (east) and "dorf" (village) or "feld" (field), indicating that the surname may have originated from individuals who resided in or were associated with these eastern villages or areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Osten include Hans von Osten (1557-1623), a German military officer and nobleman who served as the Commandant of Güstrow during the Thirty Years' War. Another prominent individual was Johann Osten (1689-1755), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a professor of law at the University of Marburg.

In the realm of literature, Johann Adam Osten (1689-1756), a German poet and playwright, made significant contributions to the development of German theater in the 18th century. His works included tragedies, comedies, and libretti for operas.

The Osten surname also gained recognition in the field of science with Carl Osten (1811-1880), a German astronomer and mathematician. He made notable contributions to celestial mechanics and the study of comets.

Lastly, a notable figure in the art world was Ferdinand von Osten (1826-1913), a German painter and illustrator known for his historical and genre paintings, as well as his illustrations for literary works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osten

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

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

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

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