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

Oar, 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 Oar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oar in America

Oar is the 78821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oar surname appeared 242 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 Oar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oar 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 Oar

The surname "OAR" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "oar," which refers to the implement used for rowing boats. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a rower or oarsman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "OAR" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it was spelled as "Ore." This suggests that the name was already in use by the 1200s and may have been associated with individuals living near rivers or engaged in water-based activities.

In the 14th century, the surname "OAR" appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was written as "Ore." This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.

During the Tudor period, the surname "OAR" was found in the Middlesex Parish Registers from 1538, where it was recorded as "Oore." This variation in spelling was common due to the lack of standardized orthography at the time.

One notable individual with the surname "OAR" was John Oar (c. 1610-1670), an English Puritan minister who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.

In the 18th century, the surname "OAR" was carried by William Oar (1721-1793), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He was involved in various battles against the American colonies and rose to the rank of rear admiral.

Another significant figure with the "OAR" surname was James Oar (1790-1855), a Scottish inventor and engineer. He is credited with developing an early form of the screw propeller, which revolutionized maritime transportation.

In the 19th century, the "OAR" surname was borne by Robert Oar (1819-1892), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal School of Mines and the South Kensington Museum (now known as the Victoria and Albert Museum).

The surname "OAR" has also been associated with places in England. For instance, there is a village called Ore in East Sussex, which may have influenced the development of the surname in that region.

Overall, the surname "OAR" has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in England's maritime and occupational traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oar

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Oar, 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!