NameCensus.

UK surname

Osbourn

A place name referring to someone who lived near an ox-barn or cattle shed.

In the 1881 census there were 476 people recorded with the Osbourn surname, ranking it #7,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 290, ranked #15,099, down from #7,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Basford, Wolverhampton and Rattlesden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Calderdale and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Osbourn is 571 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.1%.

1881 census count

476

Ranked #7,022

Modern count

290

2016, ranked #15,099

Peak year

1851

571 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Osbourn had 476 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016, ranked #15,099.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 571 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Osbourn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Osbourn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Osbourn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Osbourn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 571 #4,456
1861 historical 410 #6,264
1881 historical 476 #7,022
1891 historical 426 #8,412
1901 historical 340 #10,647
1911 historical 420 #8,969
1997 modern 287 #13,912
1998 modern 321 #13,275
1999 modern 309 #13,697
2000 modern 300 #13,904
2001 modern 288 #14,103
2002 modern 291 #14,275
2003 modern 287 #14,219
2004 modern 277 #14,644
2005 modern 285 #14,273
2006 modern 280 #14,535
2007 modern 280 #14,694
2008 modern 289 #14,502
2009 modern 298 #14,480
2010 modern 304 #14,591
2011 modern 280 #15,310
2012 modern 286 #15,012
2013 modern 305 #14,577
2014 modern 300 #14,839
2015 modern 292 #15,046
2016 modern 290 #15,099

Geography

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Where Osbourns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Basford, Wolverhampton, Rattlesden, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Calderdale, Norwich and Barnsley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Basford Nottinghamshire
2 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
3 Rattlesden Suffolk
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 010 Bridgend
2 Calderdale 011 Calderdale
3 Norwich 010 Norwich
4 Barnsley 011 Barnsley
5 Barnsley 004 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Osbourn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Osbourn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Osbourn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Osbourn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Osbourn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Osbourn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Osbourn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Osbourn is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Osbourn falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Osbourn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Osbourn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Osbourn

The surname Osbourn is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English personal name Osbeorn, which means "divine bear." The name is composed of the elements "os" meaning "divine" or "God," and "beorn" meaning "bear" or "warrior."

One of the earliest known records of the name Osbourn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions an individual named Osbern who held lands in Suffolk.

The Osbourn surname is believed to have been initially most prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Over time, various spellings of the name emerged, including Osborn, Osborne, and Osbourne.

One notable early bearer of the Osbourn surname was Thomas Osborne (1632-1712), who served as the first Duke of Leeds and was a prominent statesman and diplomat during the reigns of Charles II and William III.

Another noteworthy individual with the Osbourn surname was John Osborne (1929-1994), a renowned English playwright and screenwriter best known for his groundbreaking play "Look Back in Anger," which helped define the "angry young men" movement in British literature and theater.

In the 13th century, Robert Osbourn (c. 1240-1310) was a prominent English judge and legal scholar who served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

During the 16th century, Edward Osborne (c. 1530-1592) was a prominent English scholar and author who wrote extensively on topics such as geography and history.

In the 18th century, Peregrine Osborne (1719-1781) was a British naval officer and politician who served as the Governor of Newfoundland and played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.

While the Osbourn surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, through immigration and migration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Osbourn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Osbourn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 74 Osbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 74 4.73x
Cambridgeshire 68 23.17x
Essex 49 5.36x
Suffolk 35 6.20x
Lincolnshire 34 4.59x
Sussex 33 4.22x
Yorkshire 28 0.61x
Kent 21 1.33x
Middlesex 17 0.37x
Hampshire 15 1.58x
Surrey 15 0.66x
Devon 10 1.04x
Warwickshire 10 0.86x
Worcestershire 9 1.49x
Derbyshire 7 0.96x
Lancashire 6 0.11x
Northumberland 6 0.87x
Hertfordshire 5 1.57x
Norfolk 5 0.70x
Buckinghamshire 4 1.43x
Glamorgan 4 0.50x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.48x
Cumberland 2 0.50x
Dumfriesshire 2 1.95x
Durham 2 0.15x
Wiltshire 2 0.49x
Angus 1 0.23x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Cornwall 1 0.19x
Dorset 1 0.33x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.53x
Leicestershire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.16x
Oxfordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walsall Foreign in Staffordshire leads with 27 Osbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.42x.

Place Total Index
Walsall Foreign 27 33.42x
Wolverhampton 22 18.29x
Walsall Borough 19 156.51x
Bottisham 15 600.00x
Great Wilbraham 14 1609.20x
Colchester St Giles 13 143.81x
Islington London 12 2.67x
Grantchester 10 546.45x
St Edward Cambridge 10 1075.27x
Assington 9 762.71x
St Clement Cambridge 9 743.80x
Abbots Kerswell 8 1159.42x
Alverstoke 8 23.27x
Lambeth 8 1.98x
Salcott 8 2105.26x
Bacton 7 686.27x
Birmingham 7 1.80x
Caythorpe 7 492.96x
Newick 7 406.98x
Rye 7 94.34x
Sturmere 7 1186.44x
Burwash 6 165.75x
Chirton 6 38.46x
Leek Lowe 6 28.83x
Southcoates 6 23.54x
Stowmarket 6 92.02x
Utterby 6 1363.64x
West Ham 6 2.97x
Aldershot 5 15.71x
Ifield 5 153.37x
Leyton 5 31.75x
Louth 5 29.45x
Outseats 5 1666.67x
Woolwich 5 8.56x
Aslackby 4 555.56x
Hundleby 4 400.00x
Kenninghall 4 204.08x
Sculcoates 4 5.49x
Springfield 4 99.75x
St Lawrence 4 36.80x
Sundridge 4 151.52x
Ulverston 4 24.98x
Warnham 4 236.69x
Wistow 4 327.87x
Brighton 3 1.90x
Bromsgrove 3 14.73x
Eglwysilan 3 21.43x
Hadstock 3 422.54x
Hollesley 3 365.85x
Kings Norton 3 5.53x
Leeds 3 1.16x
Minster In Sheppey 3 11.45x
Pinchbeck 3 63.16x
Rothwell 3 32.36x
Southwark St Saviour 3 12.60x
St Andrewthe Less 3 8.95x
Stow Upland 3 161.29x
Bishop Stortford 2 18.74x
Black Notley 2 188.68x
Chatham 2 4.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.29x
Christchurch 2 9.71x
Dryfesdale 2 42.37x
Drypool 2 28.45x
Great Ashfield 2 317.46x
Great Linford 2 285.71x
Hampstead London 2 2.77x
Lavendon 2 158.73x
Little Wilbraham 2 307.69x
Oxted 2 73.53x
Saleby Cum Thoresthorpe 2 869.57x
Shrewley 2 344.83x
Wakefield 2 5.67x
Wetherden 2 253.16x
Worcester St Swithin 2 176.99x
Berkeley Hamfallow 1 60.98x
Caxton 1 111.11x
Clee With Weelsby 1 6.17x
Hoyland Nether 1 8.88x
Litchurch 1 3.43x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Osbourn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 28
Sarah 20
Eliza 11
Elizabeth 11
Emma 11
Ellen 8
Ann 6
Caroline 6
Clara 6
Alice 5
Emily 5
Jane 5
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Agnes 3
Edith 3
Hannah 3
Ida 3
Laura 3
Rebecca 3
Susannah 3
Ada 2
Amy 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Lucy 2
Maud 2
Susan 2
Susanah 2
Theresa 2
Adelaide 1
Amelia 1
Beatrice 1
Bessey 1
Drewsilla 1
E. 1
Edath 1
Eleanor 1
Elizebth. 1
Eloezar 1
Emely 1
Gertrude 1
H. 1
Harriet 1
Jennie 1
Jessie 1
Zilpha 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Osbourn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 27
William 22
John 19
Charles 18
Henry 18
Thomas 18
James 12
Walter 7
Alfred 6
Harry 6
Joseph 6
Samuel 6
Robert 5
Arthur 4
David 4
Edward 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Jesse 2
Oliver 2
Percy 2
Sidney 2
Baron 1
Charls 1
Chas. 1
Claude 1
Daniel 1
Eliah 1
Ethelbert 1
Fedrick 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Freemn 1
Gustavus 1
Harold 1
J. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jerry 1
Job 1
Jonah 1
Josh. 1
Mark 1
Morley 1
Read 1
Richard 1
Willm.H. 1

FAQ

Osbourn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Osbourn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 476 people were recorded with the Osbourn surname. That placed it at #7,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Osbourn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 290 in 2016. That gives Osbourn a modern rank of #15,099.

What does the Osbourn surname mean?

A place name referring to someone who lived near an ox-barn or cattle shed.

What does the Osbourn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Osbourn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.