Explore the Family Name Oss
The meaning of Oss
1. North German: from Low German oss ‘ox’, hence a nickname for a farmer or a stupid person or, in some cases, a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of an ox. 2. South German (mainly in Allgäu, in southern Bavaria): from a short form of the personal name Oswald. 3. Dutch (Van Oss): habitational name for someone from Oss in North Brabant. 4. Americanized form of Norwegian and Swedish Ås or Aas.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Oss in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Oss has seen a slight increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, the surname ranked 53,299 in terms of popularity with 364 individuals bearing this name. A decade later, the rank improved to 51,396 with an increase in count to 405 individuals - an uptick of 11.26%. The proportion of people with the surname Oss per 100,000 also witnessed a rise of 7.69% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,299 | #51,396 | 3.57% |
| Count | 364 | 405 | 11.26% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.14 | 7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oss
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Oss shifted somewhat between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, a dominant 93.68% of those with the surname identified as White, which slightly decreased to 92.35% by 2010. The percentage identifying as Black increased significantly from 1.65% in 2000 to 2.72% in 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation saw a small reduction from 2.47% to 2.22%. Notably, there was no representation from the Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native communities in both years. However, the category of "Two or more races" appeared in 2010 with a 1.98% representation.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.68% | 92.35% | -1.42% |
| Black | 1.65% | 2.72% | 64.85% |
| Hispanic | 2.47% | 2.22% | -10.12% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.98% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |