The Ormsby surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,643 people carried this name — #8,981 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 80,600 people counted. That is up 4% from 3,492 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Ormsby surname

Habitational surname from the village of South Ormsby in Lincolnshire, from the Old Norse personal name Ormr + býr (“village”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Ormsby» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Ormsby’.

An early record he cites: William de Ormesby, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Ormsby and Ormsbee.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 572 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 10 births for the Ormsby name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 3
Leinster 3
Ulster 3
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

33 families named Ormsby, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 179 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 9 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 10
Massachusetts 8
Rhode Island 8
Pennsylvania 3
Vermont 2
New York 1
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 256 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Ormsby in American newspapers,
1878–1917.

Newspaper page from The New Orleans Daily Democrat carrying the name Ormsby
The New Orleans Daily Democrat 1878-04-14
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Daily Democrat carrying the name Ormsby
The New Orleans Daily Democrat 1878-04-10
Newspaper page from Macon Beacon carrying the name Ormsby
Macon Beacon 1917-10-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 124,164 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Ormsby in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

12,638 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ormsby. The most, 4,086, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,783
South Australia 2,599
Victoria 2,530
Queensland 2,322
Western Australia 779
Tasmania 504
ACT (Canberra) 78
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Ormsby.

Who carried it

People named Ormsby,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Owen Ormsby d. 1804
  • Sarah Mary Ormsby d. 1871
  • Frances Emily Ormsby d. 1902
  • Robert Ormsby d. 1700
  • Arabella Mabel Ormsby d. 1957
  • Martha King d. 1699

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Ormsby,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States602 records

602 records of the Ormsby name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 176
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 112
  • Other U.S. records 314
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George F. Ormsby

    Born 1902 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island; yardman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1971, buried at the Cedar Hill Cemetery Association, Newburgh, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robert Ormsby

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 40; laborer. From Monaghan, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record John F. Ormsby

    U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Born 1930, died 1992; buried at Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, King, Wisconsin.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 602 records for Ormsby in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia102 records

102 records of the Ormsby name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 61
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 22
  • Other Australian records 19
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Ormsby

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1854. Married 1855 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 34.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Bridget Ormsby

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Hooghley, arriving 1831; certificate of freedom 1837.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah Ormsby

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Sultana, aged 18; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 102 records for Ormsby in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada15 records

15 records of the Ormsby name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 8
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Edwina Ormsby

    Died 1920 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edward Ormsby

    Died 1894; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William George Ormsby

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Ormsby in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Ormsby name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lieutenant General Arthur Ormsby

    Buried in 1809 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 70.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Ormsby

    Cameron Highlanders. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Ormsby

    Royal Army Medical Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Ormsby in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Ormsby name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Ida Beatrice Ormsby

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1876 in Sheerness (E.).

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Anny Harriet Ormsby

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Amy Harriett Ormsby

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1882 in Scheerness.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Ormsby in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Ormsby name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur Ormsby

    Died 1889, aged 52; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Ormsby in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Ormsby name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Georges Francis Arthur Ormsby

    Born 1935 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Le Poujol-sur-Orb (Hérault).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Ormsby.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Ormsby is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Ormsby volume
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