2000
#109,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Ostrin
An occupational surname derived from the Russian word "остр" meaning sharp or keen, possibly referring to a maker of sharp tools or weapons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Ostrin. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ostrin 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Ostrin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ostrin
The surname Ostrin is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "oster," meaning "east," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in or near an eastern region.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval German records, often spelled as "Osterin" or "Östrin." One notable early reference comes from a 14th-century manuscript mentioning a certain Heinrich Ostrin, a landowner in the region of Bavaria.
In the following centuries, the name spread across various parts of Germany and neighboring regions, with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. During the 16th century, the name Ostrin appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, with an entry for a merchant named Hans Ostrin, born in 1512.
As people migrated and settled in different areas, the name was sometimes adapted to local dialects and customs. For instance, in the 18th century, there was a small community of Ostrins living in the town of Neusitz, in what is now Poland, where the name was spelled as "Ostrzyn."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Ostrin. One of the earliest was Johann Ostrin, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1582 to 1638. He is known for his influential work on Lutheran theology and his contributions to the academic debates of his time.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Ostrin, a German military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1778, he rose through the ranks and became a general in the Prussian army, playing a significant role in several battles against the French forces.
In the 19th century, the name Ostrin was associated with the arts, with the painter Carl Ostrin (1821-1895) gaining recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the scenic beauty of the German countryside.
One of the more recent notable individuals with the surname Ostrin was Erich Ostrin, a German-American scientist and inventor who lived from 1892 to 1978. He was responsible for several groundbreaking innovations in the field of optics and is credited with developing the first successful polarizing filter for sunglasses.
While the surname Ostrin may not be among the most common worldwide, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the eastern regions of Germany. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, leaving an indelible mark on the fields of academia, military, arts, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ostrin
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ostrin 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 Ostrin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 112
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ostrin
Ostrin 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
-14 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,690 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-16 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,031 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,328 | 150 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | -14 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 16,690 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 16,031 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 Ostrin 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 | #126,018 | #142,049 | -12.7% |
| Count | 136 | 120 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ostrin bearers went from 136 to 120 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 16,031 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #142,049.
FAQ
Ostrin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ostrin?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Ostrin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Ostrin?
Ostrin ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Ostrin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ostrin.
Has Ostrin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ostrin went from 136 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Ostrin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ostrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Ostrin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ostrin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Ostrin (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 Ostrin mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Russian word "остр" meaning sharp or keen, possibly referring to a maker of sharp tools or weapons. 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 Ostrin (0.04 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 are called Ostrin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Ostrin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.