Osborn is a patronymic surname derived from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

first name ''Osbeorn'' and possibly the

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

name ''Ásbjörn'', such as the Old Norman first name '' Osbern'', carrying several meanings. The

origin is "God's Warrior" or God-bear as the name is derived from the elements "ōs" (god, divinity) and "beorn" (bear or warrior), interpreted as one blessed by God. The

origin is "Divine Bear" or "Godly Bear" from the Norse elements "ás" (god) and "bjorn" (bear), suggesting strength and divinity.

Fictional characters

Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...

Green Goblin The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the first and best-known incarnation of the Green Goblin is Norman Osborn, ...

, a fictional character from

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

Harry Osborn Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing ...

, son of Norman Osborn ***

Normie Osborn Normie Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the grandson of Norman Osborn and the eldest son of Harry Osborn. After gaining partial of Carnage symbiote power and gave a birth of a sy ...

, son of Harry Osborn ***

Liz Osborn Elizabeth "Liz" Allan, also known as Elizabeth Allan-Osborn and commonly misspelled as "Liz Allen", is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and ...

, ex-wife of Harry Osborn

Literature and arts

Alex Faickney Osborn Alex Faickney Osborn (May 24, 1888 – May 5, 1966) was an American advertising executive and the author of the creativity technique named ''brainstorming''. Founding of BBDO In 1919, Osborn joined with Bruce Fairchild Barton and Roy Sarles Dur ...

(1888–1966), American author * Daisy Osborn (1888–1957), New Zealand artist *

John Jay Osborn, Jr. John Jay Osborn Jr. (August 5, 1945 – October 19, 2022) was an American author, lawyer, law professor, and author of '' The Paper Chase'', a bestselling novel published in 1971, and other works. Early life and education Osborn was born in Bos ...

(1945–2022), American novelist, writer, and legal scholar *

Paul Osborn Paul Osborn (September 4, 1901 – May 12, 1988) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Osborn's original plays are '' The Vinegar Tree'', ''Oliver Oliver'', and '' Morning's at Seven'' and among his several successful adaptations, '' On Bo ...

(1901–1988), playwright and screenwriter *

Robert C. Osborn Robert Chesley Osborn (October 26, 1904 – December 20, 1994) was an American satiric cartoonist, illustrator and author. Pre-World War II career Osborn was born October 26, 1904, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He witnessed a fatal aviation crash in Jun ...

(1904–1994), American satiric cartoonist, illustrator and author *

Joe Osborn Joe Osborn (August 28, 1937 – December 14, 2018Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet (10 May 1742 – 29 June 1818) was a British Army officer and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War as a British officer. He served in the House of Commons from 1769 to 1784 - before, during, and a ...

(1742–1818), British military officer and MP, son of Danvers Osborn *

Henry Osborn (Royal Navy officer) Admiral Henry Osborn (baptized 27 August 1694 – 4 February 1771) was a British naval officer who served as Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland. He was a younger son of Sir John Osborn, 2nd Baronet. Naval career Osborn joined the Royal Navy as ...

(1694–1771), naval officer and Commodore Governor of Newfoundland *

John Robert Osborn Company Sergeant Major John Robert Osborn, VC (2 January 1899 − 19 December 1941) was a Canadian soldier. Osborn was a recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that c ...

(1899–1941), Canadian war hero *

Philip Osborn Air Marshal Philip Colin Osborn, is a senior Royal Air Force officer who served as Chief of Defence Intelligence from 2015 to 2018. RAF career Osborn joined the Royal Air Force in 1982. After training as a Tornado navigator, he became comma ...

, British air force officer and Chief of Defence Intelligence *

Sherard Osborn Sherard Osborn (25 April 1822 – 6 May 1875) was a Royal Navy admiral and Arctic explorer. Biography Born in Madras, he was the son of an Indian army officer. Osborn entered the navy as a first-class volunteer in 1837, serving until 1 ...

(1822–1875), English military officer * Thomas W. Osborn (1833–1898), American military officer and politician

Politics

* Albert L. Osborn (1858–1940), American state politician *

Chase Osborn Chase Salmon Osborn (January 22, 1860 – April 11, 1949) was an American politician, newspaper reporter and publisher, and explorer. He served as the 27th governor of Michigan from 1911 to 1913. The governor spent time at Possum Poke in Georg ...

(1860–1949), American politician *

Dan Osborn Dan Osborn (born March 29, 1975) is a U.S. Navy veteran, industrial mechanic, former labor union leader and independent politician. Osborn served in the Nebraska Army National Guard before working at Kellogg's Omaha plant. He eventually becam ...

, American union leader and politician *

Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet (17 November 1715 – 12 October 1753) was a British politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New York in 1753. During the Jacobite rising of 1745, he raised and commanded troops in su ...

(1715–1753), colonial governor of New York in 1753 * David L. Osborn (1921–1994), United States ambassador *

Sir John Osborn, 5th Baronet Sir John Osborn, 5th Baronet (3 December 1772 – 28 August 1848), of Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire, was an English politician. Early life He was the only son of Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet, who he succeeded in 1818, and Elizabeth Banni ...

(1772–1848), English politician *

Jones Osborn Jones Osborn (October 22, 1921 – November 6, 2014) was an American politician, newspaper editor, and publisher. Born in Bicknell, Indiana, Jones moved with his parents to Yuma, Arizona, where they bought two local daily newspapers. Jones learne ...

(1921–2014), American politician and newspaper editor * Laura Freele Osborn (1866–1955), American educator and politician *

Sidney Preston Osborn Sidney Preston Osborn (May 17, 1884 – May 25, 1948) was an American politician who was the first secretary of state of Arizona, and later the seventh governor of Arizona and is, as of , the only governor of Arizona to be elected to four conse ...

(1884–1948), American politician * Steve Osborn, American politician

Science

* Elburt F. Osborn (1911–1998), American geochemist * Francis C. Osborn, Sr. (1856–1926), American inventor *

Frederick Osborn Major General Frederick Henry Osborn CBE (March 21, 1889 – January 5, 1981) was an American philanthropist, military leader, and eugenicist. He was a founder of several organizations and played a central part in reorienting eugenics in a ...

(1889–1981), American eugenicist *

Henry Fairfield Osborn Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. (August 8, 1857 – November 6, 1935) was an American paleontologist, geologist and eugenics advocate. He was professor of anatomy at Columbia University, president of the American Museum of Natural History for 25 y ...

(1857–1935), American geologist and paleontologist *

Herbert Osborn Herbert Osborn (March 19, 1856-September 20, 1954) was an American entomologist. Biography He was born in Lafayette, Walworth County, Wisconsin. He held various posts at Iowa State College, eventually becoming head of the Department of Zoology a ...

(1856–1954), American entomologist *

Hugh Osborn Hugh Osborn is a British theoretical high-energy physicist and a professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. He is known for his work on Conformal Field Theory and Quantum Field ...

, British physicist *

John Jay Osborn John Jay Osborn (1917–2014) was an American physician who made contributions to the early use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during heart surgery and to the postoperative care of such patients. He was a faculty member at the Stanford University ...

, American physician *

Mary Jane Osborn Mary Jane Osborn (September 24, 1927January 17, 2019) was an American biochemist and microbiologist known for her research on the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharide (bacterial endotoxin), a key component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative b ...

(1927–2019), American molecular biologist

Sports

* Ben Osborn (born 1994) English footballer *

Dan Osborn (baseball) Danny Leon "Ozzie" Osborn (born June 19, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Chicago White Sox in . After his lone season in the majors, he was traded a ...

, American baseball player *

Harold Osborn Harold Marion Osborn D.O. (April 13, 1899 – April 5, 1975) was an American track athlete. He won a gold medal in Olympic decathlon and high jump in 1924 and was the first athlete to win a gold medal in both the decathlon and an individua ...

(1899–1975), American athlete *

John Osborn (sailor) John Osborn (born 18 September 1945) is a British sailor, Olympic champion and world champion. He won a gold medal in the '' Tornado class'' with Reg White at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. He became world champion in the tornado class i ...

(born 1945), British Olympic sailor * K. J. Osborn (born 1997), American football player * Philip Osborn (swimmer), English swimmer

Others

* Albert S. Osborn (1858–1946), American questioned document examiner * Arthur Osborn (murderer) (1905–1928), executed for the murder of Fred N. Selak, the Hermit of Grand Lake, Colorado * Denise R. Osborn, Australian and British economist * Derrill Osborn, American fashion executive *

Eric Osborn Eric Francis Osborn (1922–2007) was an Australian minister and theologian. He was the Professor of New Testament and Early Church History at the Theological Hall of Queen's College in Melbourne, Australia.David T. Runia, Obituaries of Fellows ...

(1922–2007), Australian theologian * Henry Fairfield Osborn, Jr. (1887–1969), American environmentalist * Howard J. Osborn (1918–1984), Director of Security at the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

Jared Osborn Jared Osborn (born April 23, 1986) is a U.S.-born Canadian Anglican bishop. First ordained as a deacon in 2015 alongside his wife, Rebecca, Osborn's entire ministry has been spent as a missionary in Nunavut within the Anglican Church of Canada's D ...

(born 1986), American-Canadian Anglican bishop * John E. Osborn (lawyer) (born 1957), American lawyer, health care industry executive, diplomat *

Richard Osborn Richard Osborn was the 20th President of Pacific Union College. He took office in 2001, serving until he resigned in 2009. Previously, he also served as President of the Council for American Private Education, a coalition representing 80% of priva ...

, American educator, president of Pacific Union College (2001–2009) *

Samuel Osborn (surgeon) Samuel Osborn (15 April 1848, London – 16 April 1936, Datchet, Buckinghamshire) was a British general surgeon, chief surgeon to the metropolitan corps of the St John Ambulance (England), St John Ambulance Brigade, obstetrician, gynaecologist, a ...

(1848–1936), British surgeon * Theodore Osborn (1887–1973), Professor of botany in Australia *

William A. Osborn William A. Osborn (born 1947) is an American bank executive. William A. Osborn was graduated from Northwestern University in 1969, and from its Kellogg School of Management in 1973. He joined Northern Trust in 1970, and spent the rest of his car ...

(born 1947), American banker * William Church Osborn (1862–1951), American philanthropist *

William H. Osborn William Henry Osborn (December 21, 1820 – March 2, 1894) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was a railroad tycoon who, as head of the Illinois Central Railroad and later the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad, became on ...