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

Ostergaard, 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 Ostergaard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ostergaard in America

Ostergaard is the 39164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ostergaard surname appeared 562 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 Ostergaard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ostergaard 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 Ostergaard

The surname Ostergaard has its roots in Denmark, where it originated as a geographical name referring to someone who lived near the eastern farm or settlement. The name is derived from the Old Danish words 'øster' meaning 'east' and 'gaard' meaning 'farm' or 'yard'.

Ostergaard is one of the oldest recorded Danish surnames, with variations of the spelling appearing in historical records dating back to the 15th century. One of the earliest documented instances was in 1449, when a man named Niels Østergaard was mentioned in a land registry from the island of Funen.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname became more widely adopted across Denmark, particularly in the regions of Jutland and Zealand. Place names such as Østergård and Østergaarden, which share the same root, can be found scattered throughout the country.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Ostergaard include Hans Ostergaard (1595-1672), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Copenhagen, and Jørgen Ostergaard (1735-1804), a respected theologian and author who served as the Bishop of Ribe.

In the 19th century, Christen Ostergaard (1816-1892) gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for the Danish folk high school movement. His contemporary, Niels Ostergaard (1826-1911), was a celebrated landscape painter whose works captured the scenic beauty of Denmark.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Lars Ostergaard (1879-1957), a renowned architect who played a significant role in shaping the modern cityscape of Copenhagen with his innovative designs for public buildings and residential complexes.

While the surname Ostergaard is predominantly Danish in origin, it has also been adopted by families in other Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway and Sweden, due to historical migration patterns and cultural exchange within the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ostergaard

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!