NameCensus.

UK surname

Osburn

Derived from a place name meaning "stream of the deity," or from a nickname for someone with a divine quality.

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Osburn surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Cardiff St John and St Mary and Snaith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maidstone, Cardiff and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Osburn is 330 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.3%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1861

330 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Osburn had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 330 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Osburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Osburn surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Osburn 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 304 #7,559
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 86 #28,876
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 96 #28,299
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 91 #29,121
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 83 #30,486
2006 modern 87 #30,292
2007 modern 93 #29,777
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 97 #30,552
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Osburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Cardiff St John and St Mary, Snaith, Paisley Abbey and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maidstone, Cardiff, Scarborough, Southend-on-Sea and Torridge. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
3 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Paisley Abbey Renfrew
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maidstone 018 Maidstone
2 Cardiff 037 Cardiff
3 Scarborough 011 Scarborough
4 Southend-on-Sea 006 Southend-on-Sea
5 Torridge 004 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Osburn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Osburn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Osburn, 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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Osburn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Osburn is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Osburn falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Osburn 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 Osburn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Osburn

The surname Osburn is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "os" meaning "ox" and "burn" meaning "stream" or "small river". It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to a place where oxen were watered or crossed a stream. The earliest known recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century.

The name first appeared in historical records in Oxfordshire, England, where it was spelled as "Oxenburn" or "Oxburne". In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of land tenure in England, there is a mention of Robert de Oxenburne holding lands in Oxfordshire.

Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Oxburn, Oxbourne, Oxbarn, and eventually Osburn. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.

One notable historical figure with the surname Osburn was Sir John Osburn, a prominent English politician and landowner who lived from 1585 to 1665. He served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire and was knighted by King Charles I in 1628.

Another individual of note was William Osburn, born in 1687 in Oxfordshire. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with developing innovative techniques in clock-making during the early 18th century.

In the late 16th century, the Osburn family established themselves in the county of Gloucestershire, where they owned substantial landholdings. Thomas Osburn, born in 1542, was a prominent landowner and served as a justice of the peace in Gloucestershire.

The Osburn name also appears in historical records in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, suggesting that families with this surname may have migrated from their original homelands to other regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Osburn name in the Americas was in 1635, when Edward Osburn, born in 1610 in Oxfordshire, arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony as part of the Great Migration from England.

Throughout history, the Osburn surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, clockmaking, and public service. The name has endured over the centuries, and its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the rural landscapes of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Osburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Osburn 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. Yorkshire leads with 33 Osburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.56x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 33 3.56x
Surrey 10 2.19x
Middlesex 9 0.96x
Warwickshire 8 3.39x
Kent 6 1.88x
Lancashire 6 0.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 22.14x
Northumberland 3 2.15x
Ayrshire 2 2.85x
Devon 2 1.03x
Norfolk 2 1.39x
Worcestershire 2 1.64x
Cornwall 1 0.94x
Cumberland 1 1.24x
Denbighshire 1 2.83x
Dorset 1 1.63x
Durham 1 0.36x
Lanarkshire 1 0.33x
Lincolnshire 1 0.67x
Renfrewshire 1 1.38x
Royal Navy 1 8.96x
Shropshire 1 1.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 8 Osburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.17x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 8 10.17x
Micklefield 8 3636.36x
Leeds 7 13.36x
Ash Next Ridley 5 2500.00x
Sherburn 5 657.89x
Camberwell 4 6.69x
Lambeth 4 4.90x
Liversedge 4 96.85x
Bradford 3 13.36x
Islington London 3 3.31x
Kirkcudbright 3 267.86x
Pannal 3 337.08x
St Marylebone London 3 6.00x
Wallsend 3 67.87x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 141.84x
Little Ellingham 2 2000.00x
Oldham 2 5.58x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 10.62x
Worcester St Peter 2 86.58x
Abbey 1 9.03x
Bishop Auckland 1 26.74x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 1 108.70x
Chelsea London 1 3.54x
Christ Church Newgate 1 227.27x
Dalston 1 161.29x
Dartmouth Townstall 1 126.58x
Elton 1 26.04x
Friskney 1 208.33x
Govan 1 1.34x
Gresford Gwersyllt 1 90.91x
Hale 1 555.56x
Kinson 1 83.33x
Lamerton 1 270.27x
Largs 1 60.61x
Lytham 1 58.82x
Plumstead 1 9.39x
Royal Navy 1 10.48x
Sculcoates 1 6.80x
Sorn 1 72.46x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 80.65x
St Stephen In Brannel 1 103.09x
Westleigh 1 39.68x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Thomas 5
John 4
Charles 3
George 3
Joseph 3
James 2
Absalom 1
Arthur 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Jessie 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Ossy 1
Owen 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thos.R. 1
Tom 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Osburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Osburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Osburn surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Osburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Osburn a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Osburn surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "stream of the deity," or from a nickname for someone with a divine quality.

What does the Osburn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Osburn 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.