Oglesby
A habitational surname meaning “from Ogle’s farm or settlement,” with the final -by pointing to a Scandinavian place-name element.
The #2,919 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,161 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Oglesby is generally understood as a habitational surname built from the place-name Ogle plus the Old Norse element -by, meaning “farm,” “village,” or “settlement.” In that reading, the name means someone who came from or lived near Ogle’s settlement. The first element is usually taken as a personal name or old place-name element, so the surname’s sense is essentially “of Ogle’s by/farm.”
History
The surname appears to have developed in the English north, where many place-names with -by preserve Scandinavian settlement patterns. Historical surname books often link Oglesby with related forms such as Ogleby and Ogilby, though spellings varied a lot before modern standardization. The name is now best known as an English-language surname carried especially in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -by is the same old Scandinavian place-name element found in many English place names, especially in areas once influenced by Viking settlement.
From the historical record
“OGILBY oglesby; (Scand.) Dweller at CEgel's, or cEguald's, Settlement or”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)