Ostrom
A surname most likely of Scandinavian origin, probably built from a place-name or older personal-name element rather than an English occupational term.
The #9,343 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,593 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ostrom is generally treated as a Scandinavian surname. In many cases, names like this are formed from an Old Scandinavian or Swedish place-name element plus a farm or estate suffix, or from a shortened older personal name that later became hereditary. The exact root is not certain from the historical excerpts alone, and older references do not explain it directly; the spelling could reflect adaptation of a Nordic name into English usage.
History
The surname is found in North American records and was already present in Boston-area naming lists by the mid-19th century. In the United States it is most often associated with families of Scandinavian immigrant background, especially Swedish or neighboring northern European lines. The modern spelling has remained fairly stable, though the underlying form may have varied after immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Despite looking English, Ostrom is much more at home in Scandinavian surname patterns than in native English ones.
From the historical record
“Ormsby, Orncutt, Orpi, O'Rourke, Orrall (some- times Orrell), Orto, Orvice, Orvis, O'Shea, Ostberg, OsTERHAUS, Osthues, Ostrander, Ostrom, O'Sulli- van, Oszen, O'Toole, Ottignon, Ottman, Oviatt. names still extant in boston. -i-it”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)Notable people named Ostrom
- Elinor Ostrom (1933–2012)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.