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

Oswald, 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 Oswald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oswald in America

Oswald is the 2530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oswald surname appeared 14,322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Oswald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oswald 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 Oswald

The surname Oswald is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English personal name Ōsweald, which is composed of two elements: ōs meaning 'divine' or 'God', and weald meaning 'power' or 'ruler'. The name essentially translates to 'Divine Power' or 'Ruler by God'.

The name Oswald is closely associated with the historical figure of Saint Oswald, the King of Northumbria from 634 to 642 AD. He was renowned for his efforts in promoting Christianity and is credited with the establishment of several monasteries, including Lindisfarne. Saint Oswald's name appears in the Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a seminal work written in the early 8th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Oswald can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Oswald' and 'Oswold'. The name is mentioned in various counties across England, suggesting its widespread use during the Norman conquest.

The surname Oswald has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Thomas Oswald (c. 1556-1642), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of King James I.

In the 18th century, Richard Oswald (1705-1784) was a British merchant and politician who played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to the Peace of Paris in 1783, effectively ending the American Revolutionary War.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Peter Oswald (1892-1971), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of New South Wales, Australia, from 1957 to 1962.

The surname Oswald has also been associated with various place names, particularly in England. For instance, Oswald's Ash in Worcestershire is believed to derive its name from the Old English words 'Ōsweald' and 'æsc', referring to an ash tree associated with an individual named Oswald.

Throughout its history, the surname Oswald has undergone various spellings, including Oswald, Oswold, Oswell, and Oswall, reflecting the linguistic variations and regional influences across different parts of England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oswald

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

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

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

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