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Oster Family History

Oster Surname Meaning

Swedish (Öster) and German: topographic name from Swedish öster, Middle Low German and Middle High German ōster ‘eastern’, denoting someone who lived to the east of a settlement or who had come there from the east. In many cases, the Swedish name is probably ornamental. Compare Ester and Oester.

German: nickname for someone who had a connection with the festival of Easter (for example, someone who was born or baptized at that time) from Oster ‘Easter’ or a topographic name from Middle High German, Middle Low German ōster ‘easterly, to the east’.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): topographic or artificial name from German Ost ‘east’ or artificial name from German Oster ‘Easter’; compare 1 and 2 above.

Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname from Polish ostry or Russian ostryy ‘sharp, sharp-minded’.

Dutch: from an ancient Germanic personal name composed of aust ‘east’ + heri hari ‘army’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Oster family from?

You can see how Oster families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oster family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oster families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 11 Oster families living in London. This was about 17% of all the recorded Oster's in United Kingdom. London and 1 other county had the highest population of Oster families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oster surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Oster ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Oster. 92% of Oster women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Oster | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    92%
  • Typist
    8%

What Oster family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 29,000 census records available for the last name Oster. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oster census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Oster

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Oster. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Oster immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Oster. For the veterans among your Oster ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oster military records

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What is the average Oster lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Oster life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Oster in 1944 was 37, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oster

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oster ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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