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

Obama, 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 Obama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obama in America

Obama is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obama surname appeared 159 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 Obama.

The history of the last name Obama

The surname Obama has its origins in Kenya, East Africa, and can be traced back to the 18th century. It is derived from the Luo language, spoken by the Luo ethnic group, and is believed to have been a name given to children born during a time of famine or hardship, with the meaning "bent over" or "crooked" in reference to the struggle for survival.

The earliest known record of the name Obama appears in a local genealogical record from the village of Nyang'oma Kogelo, in Siaya County, Kenya, dating back to the late 1700s. This document mentions an individual named Obama, who was likely a male ancestor of the more recent generations bearing the same surname.

In the 19th century, the name Obama started to spread beyond the Luo community as families migrated to other parts of Kenya and neighboring regions. One notable figure from this time period was Obama Opiyo, born in 1855, who was a respected elder and advisor in his village.

As the 20th century dawned, the name Obama became more widely recognized in Kenya and beyond. One of the first prominent individuals with this surname was Barack Hussein Obama Sr., born in 1936, a Kenyan senior governmental economist and the father of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Throughout the 20th century, several other individuals with the Obama surname made their mark in various fields. These include Obama Okoth, born in 1920, a Kenyan politician and member of the Legislative Council; Obama Onyango, born in 1945, a Kenyan author and poet; and Obama Okoth Obama, born in 1950, a Kenyan lawyer and judge.

While the surname Obama has its roots in Kenya and East Africa, it has gained global recognition due to the prominence of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, born in 1961, who served from 2009 to 2017. His memoir, "Dreams from My Father," published in 1995, provided insights into his family history and the Luo heritage associated with the Obama name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obama

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

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

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

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