NameCensus.

UK surname

Osman

A Turkish surname derived from the given name Osman, referring to the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

In the 1881 census there were 1,091 people recorded with the Osman surname, ranking it #3,645 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,194, ranked #1,089, up from #3,645 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eling, South Stoneham and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leicester, Isle of Wight and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Osman is 6,194 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 467.7%.

1881 census count

1,091

Ranked #3,645

Modern count

6,194

2016, ranked #1,089

Peak year

2016

6,194 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Osman had 1,091 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,645 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,194 in 2016, ranked #1,089.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,452 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Osman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Osman surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Osman 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 713 #3,665
1861 historical 585 #4,514
1881 historical 1,091 #3,645
1891 historical 1,107 #3,826
1901 historical 1,313 #3,805
1911 historical 1,452 #3,321
1997 modern 3,259 #1,973
1998 modern 3,415 #1,957
1999 modern 3,506 #1,940
2000 modern 3,532 #1,919
2001 modern 3,498 #1,892
2002 modern 3,818 #1,778
2003 modern 3,847 #1,727
2004 modern 4,085 #1,606
2005 modern 4,236 #1,537
2006 modern 4,412 #1,486
2007 modern 4,609 #1,434
2008 modern 4,782 #1,391
2009 modern 5,099 #1,336
2010 modern 5,445 #1,281
2011 modern 5,442 #1,257
2012 modern 5,703 #1,163
2013 modern 5,963 #1,137
2014 modern 6,094 #1,123
2015 modern 6,117 #1,109
2016 modern 6,194 #1,089

Geography

Back to top

Where Osmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eling, South Stoneham, London parishes, Southampton St Mary and Chisledon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leicester, Isle of Wight and Manchester. 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 Eling Hampshire
2 South Stoneham Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
5 Chisledon Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leicester 018 Leicester
2 Leicester 017 Leicester
3 Leicester 022 Leicester
4 Isle of Wight 012 Isle of Wight
5 Manchester 024 Manchester

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Osman

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Osman

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Osman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Osman 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Osman 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

Osman is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Osman falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Osman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

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

Meaning and origin of Osman

The surname Osman is of Turkish origin, derived from the personal name Osman, which means "bone-breaker" or "wrestler." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the region of Bithynia, northwest Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).

The name Osman is closely associated with the Ottoman Empire, which was founded by Osman I (also known as Osman Gazi) in the late 13th century. Osman I was the leader of the Ottoman Turks and the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, which ruled the empire until the early 20th century.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Osman can be found in the "Dustur al-Insha," a collection of official documents from the Ottoman Empire, dating back to the 14th century. The name is also mentioned in various chronicles and manuscripts from the Ottoman period, such as the "Tevârîh-i Âl-i Osmân" (Chronicles of the House of Osman).

The earliest known person to bear the surname Osman was Osman I (c. 1258-1326), the founder of the Ottoman Empire. Other notable historical figures with the surname Osman include Osman II (1604-1622), the 16th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and Osman Nuri Pasha (1832-1900), an Ottoman statesman and military commander.

In addition to its Turkish roots, the surname Osman has also been adopted in other regions and cultures. For example, there are records of Osman families in parts of the Balkans, the Caucasus region, and Central Asia, likely due to the influence and expansion of the Ottoman Empire.

Throughout history, the surname Osman has been associated with various place names and locations within the former Ottoman territories. Some examples include Osmaniye, a city in southern Turkey, and Osman Bazar, a town in present-day North Macedonia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Osman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Osman 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. Hampshire leads with 311 Osmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.27x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 311 14.27x
Middlesex 172 1.62x
Wiltshire 81 8.61x
Surrey 79 1.52x
Dorset 67 9.60x
Berkshire 47 5.89x
Oxfordshire 26 3.96x
Somerset 26 1.52x
Worcestershire 23 1.66x
Devon 20 0.90x
Glamorgan 20 1.08x
Essex 18 0.86x
Hertfordshire 18 2.46x
Lancashire 18 0.14x
Gloucestershire 17 0.82x
Sussex 17 0.95x
Yorkshire 17 0.16x
Durham 16 0.51x
Kent 13 0.36x
Monmouthshire 13 1.69x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.70x
Warwickshire 10 0.37x
Derbyshire 8 0.48x
Rutland 8 10.25x
Northamptonshire 6 0.60x
Staffordshire 6 0.17x
West Lothian 5 3.12x
Royal Navy 4 3.16x
Cheshire 2 0.09x
Leicestershire 2 0.17x
Lincolnshire 2 0.12x
Orkney 2 1.71x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Shropshire 1 0.11x
Stirlingshire 1 0.26x
Suffolk 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eling in Hampshire leads with 84 Osmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 380.61x.

Place Total Index
Eling 84 380.61x
Southampton St Mary 46 33.56x
South Stoneham 30 63.47x
St Pancras London 26 3.04x
Winkfield 26 196.37x
Wroughton 23 282.21x
Chisledon 22 514.02x
Fawley 21 303.91x
Wimborne 21 248.82x
Hackney London 20 3.36x
Southampton All Sts 19 50.82x
Lambeth 16 1.73x
Millbrook 16 29.15x
West Ham 16 3.45x
Islington London 15 1.46x
St Albans 13 86.55x
Westminster St James 13 11.89x
St Marylebone London 12 2.11x
Kings Norton 11 8.83x
Northwood 11 35.45x
Camberwell 10 1.47x
Bethnal Green London 9 1.95x
Burley In Wharfdale 9 96.77x
Hampreston 9 177.51x
Sutton 9 24.01x
Barrowden 8 366.97x
Crudwell 8 291.97x
Ipsden 8 308.88x
Newton Abbot St Nicholas 8 176.60x
North Baddesley 8 610.69x
Southwick 8 26.70x
Widnes 8 8.79x
Alverstoke 7 8.87x
Barnstaple 7 20.15x
Brightside Bierlow 7 3.39x
Burghfield 7 148.31x
Cardiff St Mary 7 6.86x
Carhampton 7 297.87x
Cheltenham 7 4.35x
Horton 7 414.20x
Paddington London 7 1.79x
Rotherhithe 7 5.33x
Southwark St John 7 21.53x
St George Bloomsbury 7 11.48x
Titchfield 7 42.61x
Witchampton 7 393.26x
Dudley 6 3.55x
Egham 6 18.86x
Farrington Gurney 6 307.69x
Kensington London 6 1.02x
Lower Llanvrechva 6 79.58x
Lymington 6 37.45x
Oxford St Aldate 6 86.83x
Ryde 6 12.82x
Southampton St John 6 269.06x
Stoke Newington London 6 7.24x
Yardley 6 16.89x
Ashbury 5 200.80x
Bathgate 5 14.38x
Battersea 5 1.28x
Bromley 5 9.04x
Chertsey 5 14.93x
Cowley 5 24.40x
Ealing 5 5.26x
Ebbesborne Wake 5 505.05x
Fordingbridge 5 42.19x
Freshwater 5 50.20x
Hinton Martel 5 359.71x
Hound 5 33.81x
Liverpool 5 0.65x
Llangattock Llingoed 5 769.23x
Newcastle Higher 5 39.78x
Reading St Giles 5 6.39x
St Albans St Peter 5 20.22x
Swindon 5 6.85x
Westbury On Trym 5 7.08x
Wimborne Minster 5 44.29x
Wroxhall 5 781.25x
Charminster 4 72.07x
Finedon 4 45.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 54
John 49
Henry 47
George 43
Charles 38
Thomas 37
James 34
Joseph 19
Alfred 18
Edward 14
Frederick 12
Arthur 10
Frank 10
Richard 10
Fred 8
Harry 8
Walter 7
Tom 6
Albert 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
David 4
Noah 4
Archibald 3
Benjamin 3
Francis 3
Isaac 3
Thos. 3
Edwd. 2
Eli 2
Jas.E. 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Reginald 2
Rowland 2
Soloman 2
Wm. 2
Wm.G. 2
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Ernest 1
F.C. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Frek.Chas. 1
Jno. 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Wm.Rd. 1

FAQ

Osman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Osman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,091 people were recorded with the Osman surname. That placed it at #3,645 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Osman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,194 in 2016. That gives Osman a modern rank of #1,089.

What does the Osman surname mean?

A Turkish surname derived from the given name Osman, referring to the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

What does the Osman map show?

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