Explore the Family Name Oswald
The meaning of Oswald
1. Scottish (Fife and Lanarkshire), northern English, German, and French (mainly Alsace and Lorraine): from an Old English personal name composed of the elements ōs ‘god’ + weald ‘power’. In the Middle English period, this fell together with the less common Old Norse cognate Ásvaldr. The name was introduced to Germany from England, as a result of the fame of Saint Oswald, a 7th-century king of Northumbria, whose deeds were reported by Celtic missionaries to southern Germany. The name was also borne by a 10th-century English saint of Danish parentage, who was important as a monastic reformer. Veneration of Saint Oswald, the king, spread from the German lands to the neighbouring Slavic lands as well. The surname in the (German) spelling Oswald is thus also found especially in Czechia and Slovakia, while in North America it also absorbed various Slavic forms (see 3 below). 2. Irish (Down): adopted as an English equivalent of Gaelic Ó hEodhusa (see Hussey 1). 3. Americanized form of Slovenian, Slovak, and Czech Osvald, Slovenian and Slovak Ožvald or Ozvald, and probably also of Slovenian Ožbolt: from vernacular forms of the German personal name Oswald, of Old English origin (see 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Oswald in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Oswald saw a slight decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Oswald was ranked as the 2,313th most popular surname in the United States, and by 2010, it had slipped to 2,530th place. This represents a change of -9.38%. In terms of numerical counts, the numbers remain almost stable with a minor decrease from 14,332 in 2000 to 14,322 in 2010, marking a negligible change of -0.07%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,313 | #2,530 | -9.38% |
| Count | 14,332 | 14,322 | -0.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.31 | 4.86 | -8.47% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oswald
Regarding the ethnicity associated with the surname Oswald, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (94.81% in 2010, down from 96.29% in 2000), there were increases in every other category. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.40% to 0.62%, those reporting two or more races went from 0.83% to 1.28%, Hispanic identification rose from 1.53% to 2.06%, and those identifying as Black increased from 0.66% to 0.89%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category also saw an increase from 0.29% to 0.34%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.29% | 94.81% | -1.54% |
| Hispanic | 1.53% | 2.06% | 34.64% |
| Two or More Races | 0.83% | 1.28% | 54.22% |
| Black | 0.66% | 0.89% | 34.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.62% | 55% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.29% | 0.34% | 17.24% |
Oswald ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Oswald is British & Irish, which comprises 38.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (37.7%) and Eastern European (7.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.3% |
| French & German | 37.7% |
| Eastern European | 7.1% |
| Other | 16.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Oswald
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Oswald have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.70% |
What Oswald haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Oswald is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schafer, Bowers, Kohler, Weber, Schumacher, Abbott, Keller, Bower, Knight, Miller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Oswald surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Oswald have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Oswald" Surname 43.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Oswald" Surname 25.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Oswald" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Oswald" Surname 19.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Oswald?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Oswald are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition