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Oswald History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Oswald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

Etymology of Oswald

What does the name Oswald mean?

The name Oswald evolved in ancient Germany in the state of Bavaria. It is a patronymic name. Patronymics are derived from the given name of the father of the bearer. Names derived from the name of the mother of the bearer, which are less common, are called metronymic names. Patronymic names were generally formed from traditional, German given names, rather than the names of saints or biblical figures, as is the custom in many other European cultures. Oswald comes from a famous king of Northumbria. It was popularized as a first name after King Oswald, who lived in the 7th century, and who traveled from Scotland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. Oswald had begun to be taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Oswald family

The surname Oswald was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles first mention Claus Oswald of Wuerttemberg in 1493, and Hans Oschwald in 1392. The name became popular as a first name after King Oswald of Northumbria (d.642 A.D.) traveled from Scottland to southern Germany and Tyrol as a missionary. It was taken on as a last name by around the 12th century.

Early History of the Oswald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oswald research. Another 203 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1401, 1445, 1744, 1785, 1799, 1801, 1808 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Oswald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oswald Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Oswald include Oswald, Oswalde, Oswaldt, Oswaldte, Oswalt, Oswalte, Ostwald and many more.

Early Notables of the Oswald family

Prominent among members of the name Oswald in this period include

Oswald von Wolkenstein (1377-1445), who was of knightly birth from Tyrol...

Oswald Ranking

In the United States, the name Oswald is the 3,361^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Oswald is ranked the 6,120^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Oswald migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Oswald surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Oswald Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Oswald, aged 22, who landed in Virginia in 1684 3

Oswald Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Oswald who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1732
Mrs. Maria Barbara Oswald, (1701-1736), who arrived in Georgia in 1734 aboard the ship "Purysburg" 3
Hendryk Oswald, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1735 3
Henrich Oswald, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1735 3
Richard Oswald, who arrived in Georgia in 1751 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oswald Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barbara Oswald, who settled in New York state in 1835
Cath Oswald, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 3
Jacob Oswald, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 3
Frederic Oswald, aged 31, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 3
Vinzenz Oswald, who landed in America in 1853 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oswald Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Henry Oswald, who arrived in Alabama in 1918 3

Oswald migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Oswald Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Atwood Oswald U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 4

Oswald Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Friedrich Oswald, aged 33, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Margaretha Oswald, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Regina Oswald, aged 28, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902
Rosina Oswald, aged 3, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1902

Oswald migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Oswald Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Oswald, English convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "David Lyon" on 29th April 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Ferdinand Oswald, aged 30, a merchant, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Hermann von Beckerath" 6
Miss Bridget Oswald who was convicted in Carlisle, Cumbria (Cumberland), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

Oswald migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Oswald Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Hugh G. Oswald, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
Mr. William Oswald, (b. 1852), aged 22, British settler travelling from England aboard the ship "Varuna" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 27th May 1874 8
Sarah Oswald, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Oswald (post 1700) +

Stephen Scot Oswald (b. 1951), former NASA astronaut with 3 shuttle missions and over 33 days in space 10
John Wieland Oswald (b. 1917), President of the University of Kentucky (1963-68), the Vice-President of the University of California (1968-70), and the President of Pennsylvania State University (1970-)
Rudolph Alfonsus Oswald (b. 1932), President of the Industrial Relations Research Association in Washington
William L. Oswald, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Albany County 4th District, 1863-64 11
Maude T. Oswald, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1940 11
Louis William Oswald, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 11th District, 1946 11
Louis Oswald Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 24th District, 1950 11
Sir William Richard Michael Oswald GCVO (1934-2021), English National Hunt Racing Adviser to the Queen (2003-2020), racing manager to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1970- 2002)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Julian Robertson Oswald (b. 1933), Scottish Royal Navy officer, Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord
Ian Oswald (b. 1929), Scottish psychiatrist, sleep researcher, and professor at the University of Edinburgh
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-lyon
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HERMANN VON BECKERATH 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847HermanVonBeckerath.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Stephen Oswald. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/oswald.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html