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

Oakes, 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 Oakes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oakes in America

Oakes is the 2065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oakes surname appeared 17,499 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Oakes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oakes 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 Oakes

The surname Oakes is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a topographic name, derived from the Old English word 'ac', meaning oak tree. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent oak tree or in an area known for its oak trees.

One of the earliest records of the name Oakes can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as 'de Akes'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as 'Oke' and 'Okes' in various records. It is believed that the modern spelling 'Oakes' emerged in the 15th century, reflecting the plural form of the word 'oak'.

The name Oakes is also associated with several place names in England, such as Oakes in Yorkshire and Oakes in Derbyshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word 'ac', indicating areas where oak trees were abundant.

One notable bearer of the name Oakes was Sir Henry Oakes (1558-1633), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another was Sir Nathaniel Oakes (1604-1683), a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Harvard College.

In the 18th century, Thomas Oakes (1727-1794) was a renowned English botanist and horticulturist, known for his work on plant classification and his extensive collection of rare plants.

Samuel Oakes (1573-1624) was an English clergyman and author, best known for his work 'The Arraignment of the Whole Creature at the Bar of Religion, Reason, and Experience'.

Sarah Oakes (1801-1848) was an American educator and activist, who played a significant role in the early women's rights movement and advocated for the education of women.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Oakes throughout history, reflecting the name's long-standing presence and significance in English and American societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oakes

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

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

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

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