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

Oak, 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 Oak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oak in America

Oak is the 23019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oak surname appeared 1,110 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 Oak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oak to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Oak

The surname Oak is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "ac," meaning oak tree. It is an occupational surname, originally referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or in an oak forest.

The name first appeared in written records in the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded references is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1285, which mentions a person named Richard de la Oke.

In the Domesday Book, a survey of landowners in England completed in 1086, there are several references to place names containing the word "oc" or "ock," which are believed to be derived from the Old English word for oak.

The name Oak has been found in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including parish records, tax rolls, and court records. Some notable individuals with the surname Oak include:

1. John Oak (c. 1600-1670), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
2. Robert Oak (1783-1845), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Henry Oak (1815-1889), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York.
4. Mary Oak (1854-1932), a British painter and illustrator known for her botanical illustrations.
5. Charles Oak (1887-1967), an American architect who designed several notable buildings in Los Angeles, California.

The surname Oak has also been associated with various place names, such as Oakham in Rutland, England, and Oakley, a common village name found in several English counties.

While the surname Oak is primarily found in England, it has also been recorded in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient oak forests of England, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oak

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

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 Oak 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Oak has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Oak was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!