This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Osbern,' a favourite personal name in the hereditary surname period. It is scarcely ever used now at the font, but flourishes strongly as a surname.

Gerard fil. Oseberne, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Robert Oseberne, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Osborne le Haukere. Rolls of Parliament.

Osbarn Dawson, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

'Thomas Smithson and Osberne Walynton, servauntes of Sir Edward Wydevile, 1489: Wardrobe Accounts, Edward IV.

In the Register of the University of Oxford the following forms are found: Osborne, Osbern, Osberne, Osborn, Osbourne, and Osburne (v. Index). The following variants are found amongst the marriages of a single register:

1790. George Avius and Ann Osburn: St. George, Hanover Square.

— Richard Osborne and Ann Smith: ibid.

1792. William Osbon and Mary Thackham: ibid.

1797. Frances Phillips and Lucy Orsborn: ibid.

1798. William Osburne and Elizabeth Yates: ibid.

From the ON. personal name Asbjorn, 'divine bear,' Anglicized Osbeorn and Osbern (Old English o.s + be(o)rn, 'god warrior'). Osbernus, presbyter, in record 1097-1107 (Nat. MSS., I, 4), and Osbern, capellanus, 1107—24 (ibid., I, 11). Osbernus was abbot of Jaddewurd, c. 1150 (LSC., p. 11), and Osbern, capellanus Glasgow, c. 1180 (Kelso, 338). Part of a carucate in the territory of Middilham was granted to Hosbern, a man (nativus) of the Abbey of Kelso and to his heirs, c. 1160-80 (Kelso, 117). Osbern de Yrnis acquired the land of Thornton in Angus in 1398-9 (Strathmore, p. 182), John Osburn was a voter in parish of Qwilton (Coylton), 1513 (Ros, 52), and Harie Osbum or Osburne, 'wretter to his majesties signet,' in Ayr, 1648 (Ayr, p. 182). John Osburn, dean oi guild, Aberdeen, 1730 (Guildry, p. 203), Osborne 1656, Oseburne 1596.

(Anglo-Scand.) The Old Norse Asbiörn = Divine Bear [Old Norse ás-, divine (áss, a god) + biörn, a bear] was Anglicized Osbeorn, Osbern, Osborn [Old English ós, a god + be(o)rn, a warrior] Two famous Osberns were killed in the same battle A.D. 1054—Osbern Pentecost, the Norman, fighting for Macbeth; and Osbern, the son of Earl Siward, with his father at the head of the ultimately victorious Northumbrians.

Osbern is common in Domesday Book.

“God-Bear” in Old Danish (Osbern).

(English) Descendant of Osborn (god, man); one who came from Osborne (Aust's stream), in Wight.

For a legend of the origin of this name, see English Surn. ii. 3, 4. Osbernus, Osbern, Osborn, See ., are, however, variations of a very common baptismal name. Several persons bearing it occur in Domesday, as tenants in chief in different counties. Ferguson derives it from the Norse, and interprets it "the divine bear!"

(Saxon.) From hus, a house, and bearn, a child—a family—child, an adopted child.

(English), Hero's son. An Anglo-Saxon sheriff of Here­fordshire was named Osbearn. Bearn must not be confounded with “beorn,” bear. (variant: Brown.) Osborn may sometimes be a local name derived from the place in co. York, at the head of the Ouse, called Ousebourn; i. e., Ooze or Spring brook. Osgood (New England), Oswald; i. e., Brave lord or ruler. The wapentake of Osgold, or Osgood-cross, co. York, derived its name from St. Oswald.

Osborn,Osborne. —This name occurred in England before the Norman Conquest. It is confined south of a line joining the Humber and the Mersey, and its principal area of distribution takes the form of a belt crossing central England from East Anglia to the borders of Wales. Though well represented also in the south - west of England, especially in Somerset and Cornwall, it is rare or absent in the other south coast counties, excepting Sussex.