Contents [hide]

Oswald History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Oswald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland
England

Oswald comes from a place name. The roots of this Scottish place name; however date back to the great movement of the Norse Vikings. The ancestors of the Oswald family lived in Caithness. This ancient family claim descent from the Norse Asbaldr, but sometimes records show that the name may have been derived from the personal name Oswald which is made up of the Old English elements os meaning "god," and weald or "rule." 1

"The most famous historical bearer of this name was the Northumbrian Christian King Oswald who fell A.D. 642 in a battle with Penda, king of the Mercians. This battle is traditionally reputed to have taken place at or near Oswestry, formerly Oswaldestre, i.e. Oswald's Cross, which the Welsh called by their equivalent Croes Oswallt. The locality does not, however, seem to be a likely one for a conflict between Northumbrian and Mercian troops. " 2

"When his father was defeated and slain by Rædwald in 617, he and his brothers were driven out of Northumbria, and Oswald, accompanied by a band of young nobles, took shelter with the Scots in Iona, where he was converted to Christianity and baptised. " 3

Early Origins of the Oswald family

The surname Oswald was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

"The Oswalds of Caithness are descended from James Oswald of Kirkwall, d.c. 1660, and a family of this name has been for more than two centuries resident in Fife." 4

To the south in England, it was "a very early personal name; compare Oswald Kirk, a parish in Yorkshire. 'Osewold the Reve': Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales." 5

Looking back further the Domesday Book of 1086 includes early Latin forms of the name Osuuald, Osuuoldus in Somerset and Surrey respectively. Robertus filius Oswaldi was found in Norfolk in 1240 and much later, John Oswald was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Simon Aswald, Oxfordshire, 1273 and the Writs of Parliament of 1325 included John Oswald, Gloucestershire, 1325. 5

Early History of the Oswald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oswald research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early Oswald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oswald Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were quite undeveloped in the Middle Ages. Consequently, the spelling of Scottish names was an inconsistent practice, usually governed by the unique ear of the scribe recording the name. Over the years, Oswald was spelled Oswald, Oswalde, Oswold, Oswolde, Oswell and others.

Early Notables of the Oswald family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Oswald of Worcester (d. 972), Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992...

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. 7 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. 8

Migration of the Oswald family to Ireland

Some of the Oswald family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oswald migration to the United States +

Opportunity and land greeted those who made it all the way. Some had the opportunity to solidify their new freedom by fighting in the American War of Independence, while others went or stayed north as United Empire Loyalists. Recently, the ancestors of those brave settlers have been able to recover much of their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic organizations. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Oswald:

Oswald Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Andrew Oswald, aged 22, who landed in Virginia in 1684 9

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" 9
Hendryk Oswald, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1735 9
Henrich Oswald, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1735 9
Richard Oswald, who arrived in Georgia in 1751 9
... (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 9
Jacob Oswald, aged 26, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 9
Frederic Oswald, aged 31, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 9
Vinzenz Oswald, who landed in America in 1853 9
... (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 9

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 10

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) 11
Ferdinand Oswald, aged 30, a merchant, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Hermann von Beckerath" 12
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) 13

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 14
Sarah Oswald, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Empire" in 1880 15

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 16
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 17
Maude T. Oswald, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1940 17
Louis William Oswald, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 11th District, 1946 17
Louis Oswald Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 24th District, 1950 17
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
James Oswald (1711-1769), Scottish composer and music publisher
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Oswald Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Forti favet coelum
Motto Translation: Heaven favours the brave

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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