Explore the Family Name Openshaw

The meaning of Openshaw

English (Lancashire): habitational name from Openshaw (Lancashire). The placename derives from Old English open ‘open, unenclosed’ + sceaga ‘small wood, copse’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Openshaw in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Openshaw has seen some growth in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Openshaw was ranked as the 25,329th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had moved up slightly to 25,226th place, a modest increase of 0.41%. The number of individuals using the surname also increased from 918 in 2000 to 982 in 2010, a rise of nearly 7%. However, when considering proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of the Openshaw surname slightly decreased by about 3% over the decade.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#25,329	#25,226	0.41%
Count	918	982	6.97%
Proportion per 100k	0.34	0.33	-2.94%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Openshaw

Discussion of ethnic identity is vital when examining surnames, and the Openshaw name is no exception. Based on Decennial U.S. Census data, in 2000, 96.73% of those with the Openshaw surname identified as white. This percentage fell slightly to 95.01% in 2010. Additionally, we see an upward trend in those identifying as having two or more ethnic identities, increasing from 0.87% in 2000 to 1.63% in 2010. There was also a noticeable increase in those who identify as Hispanic, from 1.53% in 2000 to 2.24% in 2010. The percentages for Asian/Pacific Islander slightly rose as well during this period. Meanwhile, there were no reported instances of the Openshaw surname among those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	96.73%	95.01%	-1.78%
Hispanic	1.53%	2.24%	46.41%
Two or More Races	0.87%	1.63%	87.36%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.76%	0.81%	6.58%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%