2000
#70,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Osuji
A Nigerian surname derived from the Igbo words "osu" meaning source or origin, and "iji" meaning path or road.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 781 Americans carry the last name Osuji. That puts it at #35,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 438,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Osuji 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Osuji with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
781
1 in 438,866
Census rank
#35,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
681
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 681 bearers of the surname Osuji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Osuji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Osuji
The surname Osuji is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It traces its roots back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is derived from the Igbo words "osu" meaning "boundary" and "ji" meaning "to live or dwell." So the name essentially means "one who lives at the boundary."
Historically, the Osuji name was associated with communities located near borders or boundary areas between different Igbo towns or villages. These boundary settlements often served as trading centers or neutral meeting grounds for neighboring groups.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Osuji name can be found in oral histories and folklore passed down through generations of Igbo storytellers and griots. These oral traditions mention prominent Osuji families and lineages from various Igbo clans and kingdoms.
In the late 19th century, British colonial records and anthropological accounts began documenting African names and lineages more extensively. The Osuji surname appears in some of these early written accounts of Igbo culture and society.
Notable individuals with the Osuji surname include Nnamdi Osuji (1892-1972), a pioneering Igbo educator and school administrator who helped establish several secondary schools in eastern Nigeria during the colonial era.
Another prominent figure was Chinua Osuji (1921-1996), an acclaimed Igbo novelist, playwright and critic whose works explored themes of cultural identity and the impacts of colonialism. He was considered one of the leading voices of African literature in the 20th century.
In the mid-20th century, Chief Samuel Osuji (1910-1987) was a respected Igbo traditional ruler and community leader who played a key role in preserving local customs and resolving disputes during a period of rapid social change.
More recently, Dr. Ifeoma Osuji (born 1955) is a renowned Nigerian physician and global health advocate who has worked extensively on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives across Africa.
In the field of academics, Professor Chinedu Osuji (born 1970) is a distinguished Nigerian-American chemical engineer and materials scientist currently based at the University of Pennsylvania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Osuji
Among Census respondents with the surname Osuji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Osuji 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 Osuji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.5% · 623
- White2.9% · 20
- Two or more races2.3% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Osuji
Osuji 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
#43,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 495
+236 bearers (+91.1%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 26,889 places
2020
#35,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 681
+186 bearers (+37.6%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 8,023 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70,473 | 259 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #43,584 | 495 | 0.17 | +236 bearers (+91.1%) | Up 26,889 places |
| 2020 | #35,561 | 681 | 0.23 | +186 bearers (+37.6%) | Up 8,023 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 Osuji 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 | #43,584 | #35,561 | 18.4% |
| Count | 495 | 681 | 37.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.23 | 34.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Osuji bearers went from 495 to 681 (+37.6% change). The surname moved up 8,023 positions in the national ranking, going from #43,584 to #35,561.
FAQ
Osuji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Osuji?
Name Census estimates that about 781 living Americans carry the surname Osuji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 438,866 residents.
How common is Osuji?
Osuji ranks #35,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 681 people with the surname Osuji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Osuji.
Has Osuji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Osuji went from 495 recorded bearers to 681. That is an increase of 186 (+37.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #43,584 to #35,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Osuji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Osuji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Osuji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (623 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Osuji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.5%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Osuji (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 Osuji mean?
A Nigerian surname derived from the Igbo words "osu" meaning source or origin, and "iji" meaning path or road. 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 Osuji (0.23 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 share the surname Osuji?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.