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

Osterhaus, 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 Osterhaus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osterhaus in America

Osterhaus is the 31906th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osterhaus surname appeared 723 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 Osterhaus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osterhaus 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 Osterhaus

The surname Osterhaus is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the Old German words "oster" and "hus," which together translate to "east house" or "eastern house." This suggests that the name may have originated from a family or individuals who lived in a dwelling situated in the eastern part of a particular town or village.

The earliest recorded instances of the Osterhaus surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical records from the former Archbishopric of Bremen, where an individual named Hinricus Osterhusen is listed in the year 1289.

Another significant reference is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a compilation of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, where a person named Henricus Osterhus is mentioned in the year 1347. These early records indicate that the name was initially spelled with variations such as Osterhusen, Osterhus, and Osterhausen, reflecting regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.

Over the centuries, the Osterhaus surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Johann Osterhaus, a German writer and theologian born in 1508 in the town of Neuenkirchen, Westphalia. He is best known for his work "De Bonis Operibus" (On Good Works), published in 1551.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Osterhaus, a German-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Born in 1819 in Hohenzollern-Hechingen (now part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany), he later emigrated to the United States and served as a Major General in the Union Army, distinguishing himself in several battles.

In the 19th century, a family of Osterhaus industrialists played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the Ruhr region of Germany. Carl Osterhaus (1836-1916) and his sons, including Gustav Osterhaus (1874-1942), were entrepreneurs who owned and operated successful steel companies.

More recently, Hans-Joachim Osterhaus (1946-2021) was a Dutch virologist and professor who gained international recognition for his research on zoonotic viruses, including his contributions to the understanding and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout its history, the Osterhaus surname has maintained its German roots and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, soldiers, industrialists, and academics, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osterhaus

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

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

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

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