2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Onyekwere
One whose dwelling is reputable or hospitable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 295 Americans carry the last name Onyekwere. That puts it at #79,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,161,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onyekwere 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.
Bearers in the US
295
1 in 1,161,879
Census rank
#79,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
257
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 257 bearers of the surname Onyekwere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyekwere, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onyekwere
The surname Onyekwere originates from the Igbo ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria. It is a combination of the Igbo words "onye," meaning "person," and "ekwere," meaning "to agree" or "to consent." Onyekwere can be interpreted as "a person who agrees" or "a consenting person."
The earliest recorded instances of the Onyekwere surname can be traced back to the 18th century in the region of present-day Anambra and Enugu states, where the Igbo people have traditionally lived. The name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname, reflecting the personality trait or characteristic of being agreeable or consenting.
In the 19th century, the Onyekwere name appears in various historical documents and records related to the region, including land ownership records and local administrative documents. During this period, variations in spelling, such as Onyekwere, Onyekwere, and Oniekwere, were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
Notable individuals with the Onyekwere surname include Nnamdi Onyekwere (1920-1985), a renowned Nigerian writer and poet who explored themes of cultural identity and the impact of colonialism. His works, such as "The Broken Pot" and "Echoes from the Lagoon," have been widely studied and celebrated.
Another prominent figure is Chidi Onyekwere (born 1962), a Nigerian businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Onyekwere Group, a conglomerate with interests in various sectors, including real estate, construction, and manufacturing.
In the realm of sports, Onyekwere Nkama (1946-2012) was a Nigerian footballer who played as a striker for the national team and several clubs in Nigeria and Cameroon during the 1960s and 1970s.
Historically, the Onyekwere surname has also been associated with certain place names in southeastern Nigeria, such as the town of Onyekwere in Anambra State and the Onyekwere River, a tributary of the Niger River.
It is worth noting that while the Onyekwere surname is predominantly found among the Igbo people of Nigeria, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onyekwere
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyekwere, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Onyekwere 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 Onyekwere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.0% · 239
- Two or more races5.1% · 13
- White1.2% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onyekwere
Onyekwere 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
#90,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
+96 bearers (+88.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 50,643 places
2020
#79,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
+52 bearers (+25.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 10,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,113 | 205 | 0.07 | +96 bearers (+88.1%) | Up 50,643 places |
| 2020 | #79,808 | 257 | 0.09 | +52 bearers (+25.4%) | Up 10,305 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 Onyekwere 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 | #90,113 | #79,808 | 11.4% |
| Count | 205 | 257 | 25.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 22.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onyekwere bearers went from 205 to 257 (+25.4% change). The surname moved up 10,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,113 to #79,808.
FAQ
Onyekwere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onyekwere?
Name Census estimates that about 295 living Americans carry the surname Onyekwere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,161,879 residents.
How common is Onyekwere?
Onyekwere ranks #79,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 257 people with the surname Onyekwere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Onyekwere.
Has Onyekwere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onyekwere went from 205 recorded bearers to 257. That is an increase of 52 (+25.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #90,113 to #79,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Onyekwere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyekwere, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (1.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Onyekwere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onyekwere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.0%), Two or More Races (5.1%), White (1.2%). 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 Onyekwere (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 Onyekwere mean?
One whose dwelling is reputable or hospitable. 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 Onyekwere (0.09 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 common is the surname Onyekwere?
See how many Americans have the surname Onyekwere on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.