Find out how popular the last name Iwuoha is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Iwuoha.

Iwuoha, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Iwuoha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iwuoha in America

Iwuoha is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iwuoha surname appeared 102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Iwuoha.

The history of the last name Iwuoha

The surname "IWUOHA" is of Nigerian origin, tracing its roots back to the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. Its earliest recorded use dates back to the 15th century in the region now known as Anambra State.

The name is believed to be derived from the Igbo words "iwu" meaning "law" and "oha" meaning "community" or "people." This suggests that the name may have originally been borne by individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their local communities, perhaps serving as enforcers of customary law or as advisors to village elders.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name is found in various historical records and accounts of European explorers and missionaries who visited the region. One notable early mention is in the writings of Portuguese explorer Duarte Pacheco Pereira, who encountered individuals bearing the name during his travels through the area in the early 1500s.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname "IWUOHA" is Nnamdi Iwuoha, a prominent village chief who lived in the late 15th century in what is now Nnewi, Anambra State. He is said to have played a key role in negotiating trade agreements between his community and neighboring settlements.

In the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the Royal Niger Company, a British mercantile group that operated in the region. One notable figure from this time is Onyekachi Iwuoha, a trader and interpreter who facilitated commerce between the company and local communities.

The 19th century saw the rise of several prominent individuals with the surname "IWUOHA," including Chukwuemeka Iwuoha, a renowned sculptor and wood carver whose intricate works depicting scenes from Igbo mythology and folklore were highly sought after by collectors and museums throughout Europe and North America. He was born in 1832 and lived until 1912.

Another notable figure from this period is Nneka Iwuoha, a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools in Anambra State dedicated to the education of young women. Born in 1845, she played a significant role in promoting literacy and empowering women in her community until her death in 1921.

In the 20th century, the name "IWUOHA" continued to be prominent, with individuals such as Emeka Iwuoha, a renowned Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist who fought against the injustices of the Biafran War in the late 1960s (born 1933, died 2002), and Adaugo Iwuoha, a celebrated Nigerian novelist and poet whose works explored themes of identity, tradition, and cultural change (born 1955).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iwuoha

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Iwuoha.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Iwuoha was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Iwuoha was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Iwuoha, please contact us.

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