Explore the Family Name Nwosu
The meaning of Nwosu
West African (Nigeria): from the Igbo personal name Nwosu, meaning ‘child of a person dedicated to a god’. In Things fall apart, Chinua Achebe defines an òsu as “a person dedicated to a god, a thing set apart—a taboo forever and his children after him”. Some characteristic forenames: African Emeka, Ngozi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nwosu in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Nwosu saw a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Nwosu was ranked 26,898th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to 19,716th. This represents an improvement of 26.7%. The number of individuals carrying the Nwosu surname also increased considerably during this period, with the count rising from 849 to 1,366 – a growth rate of 60.9%. The proportion of the U.S. population with this surname also grew from 0.31 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 0.46 per 100,000 in 2010, marking a 48.39% increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,898 | #19,716 | 26.7% |
| Count | 849 | 1,366 | 60.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.46 | 48.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nwosu
In terms of ethnicity, Nwosu is predominantly identified with individuals of Black ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 92.93% of those with the surname Nwosu were Black, and this figure increased slightly to 96.56% in 2010. Although small percentages associated with other ethnicities were noted, these generally declined over the decade. The percentage of Nwosu individuals identifying as White decreased from 1.30% to 1.10%, while Hispanic identifiers dropped from 0.71% to 0.51%. There was also a significant decrease in those identifying with two or more races, falling from 4.59% to 1.32%. Interestingly, a new appearance in 2010 was the Asian/Pacific Islander category at 0.51%, which was not present in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 92.93% | 96.56% | 3.91% |
| Two or More Races | 4.59% | 1.32% | -71.24% |
| White | 1.3% | 1.1% | -15.38% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.51% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0.71% | 0.51% | -28.17% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |