2000
#1,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,068
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.81
Uncommon Last name
Ohara
A Japanese surname meaning "small plain" or "little field," likely referring to a geographic feature or place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,149 Americans carry the last name Ohara. That puts it at #1,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ohara surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ohara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,193
Census rank
#1,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,059 bearers of the surname Ohara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohara, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ohara
The surname O'Hara is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó hEadhra, meaning "descendant of Eadhra". The name Eadhra itself is a personal name derived from the old Irish word "eidhre", meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous".
The O'Hara clan originated in County Sligo, located in the northwestern part of Ireland. They were a prominent family in the region, with their ancestral homeland centered around the baronies of Leyny and Coolavin. The name first appeared in historical records as early as the 11th century.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the O'Hara name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1235, it records the death of Donnell O'Hara, described as the "chief of Leyny".
In the 14th century, the O'Hara clan rose to prominence under the leadership of Teige O'Hara, who was appointed as the Lord of Leyny by the English Crown. His descendants continued to hold significant power and influence in the region for several centuries.
Notable individuals with the O'Hara surname throughout history include:
1. Jeffery O'Hara (c. 1640 - 1695), an Irish soldier who served in the Jacobite armies during the Williamite War in Ireland.
2. Kane O'Hara (1714 - 1782), an Irish dramatist and actor, best known for his play "Midas".
3. Charles O'Hara (1740 - 1819), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and was present at the Surrender at Yorktown.
4. Theodore O'Hara (1820 - 1867), an American poet and soldier who wrote the famous poem "The Bivouac of the Dead".
5. John O'Hara (1905 - 1970), an American novelist and short story writer, known for works like "Appointment in Samarra" and "Butterfield 8".
While the O'Hara name has its roots in County Sligo, it has since spread across Ireland and beyond, with notable bearers of the surname found in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ohara
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohara, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ohara bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ohara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 17,945
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 1,009
- Two or more races3.5% · 731
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 719
- Black or African American2.9% · 606
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ohara
Ohara appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,710
+642 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 7.36
Rank movement Down 95 places
2020
#1,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,059
-651 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 7.05
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,565 | 21,068 | 7.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,660 | 21,710 | 7.36 | +642 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 95 places |
| 2020 | #1,671 | 21,059 | 7.05 | -651 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 11 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ohara surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,660 | #1,671 | -0.7% |
| Count | 21,710 | 21,059 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.36 | 7.05 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ohara bearers went from 21,710 to 21,059 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,660 to #1,671.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ohara
FAQ
Ohara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ohara?
Name Census estimates that about 24,149 living Americans carry the surname Ohara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,193 residents.
How common is Ohara?
Ohara ranks #1,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,059 people with the surname Ohara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ohara.
Has Ohara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ohara went from 21,710 recorded bearers to 21,059. That is a decrease of 651 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,660 to #1,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Ohara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohara, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ohara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (17,945 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ohara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ohara (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ohara mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "small plain" or "little field," likely referring to a geographic feature or place of origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ohara (7.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Ohara?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Ohara on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.