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

Osterloh, 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 Osterloh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osterloh in America

Osterloh is the 31994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osterloh surname appeared 721 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 Osterloh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osterloh 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 Osterloh

The surname Osterloh originates from Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German words 'oster,' meaning 'east,' and 'loh,' which refers to a small wood or grove of trees. The name likely originated as a descriptive phrase for someone who lived near an easterly-facing grove or forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the 13th century Würzburg manuscript, where a "Cunradus Osterloh" is mentioned. This suggests the name was already well-established in central Germany by that time. Variations in spelling include Osterlohe, Osterloe, and Osterlau.

In the 14th century, records show an "Henricus Osterloh" living in the town of Goslar, in Lower Saxony. This indicates the name had spread to northern Germany as well. The name may have derived from a place name like Osterloh, a village near Oldenburg that still exists today.

Notable bearers of the Osterloh name include Johannes Osterloh (1516-1589), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Brunswick. In the 17th century, Jürgen Osterloh (1622-1667) was a German painter active in Lübeck. More recently, Jürgen Osterloh (1927-2021) was a German publishing executive who led the Axel Springer media company.

Other historical figures with this surname are Theodor Osterloh (1892-1975), a German trade unionist and politician, and Johann Osterloh (1804-1839), a German painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. The name has also been recorded in various parts of northern and central Germany throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osterloh

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

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

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

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