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

Ocaña, 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 Ocaña surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ocaña in America

Ocaña is the 14468th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ocaña surname appeared 2,064 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ocaña.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ocaña 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 Ocaña

The surname Ocana has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Castilla-La Mancha. It is derived from the Spanish word "oca," meaning goose, which suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who bred or traded in geese. Alternatively, it could have originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a distinctive gait or physical characteristic reminiscent of a goose.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ocana can be found in the Becerro de Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century, which listed individuals and their properties. This document mentions a certain Juan Ocana, who owned land in the town of Ocana, located in the province of Toledo.

The town of Ocana itself is believed to have derived its name from the same root word as the surname, potentially indicating a historical connection between the place and the name. Some scholars have also noted that Ocana could be a variant spelling of the Basque surname "Okana," which has a similar meaning related to geese.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Ocana. One example is Pedro Ocana (c. 1570-1640), a Spanish painter known for his religious and mythological works, many of which can be found in churches and museums across Spain.

Another figure is Diego de Ocana (1570-1608), a Spanish friar and explorer who accompanied various expeditions to the Americas in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His written accounts provide valuable insights into the indigenous cultures and landscapes of the regions he visited.

In the field of literature, Juan de Ocana (1601-1670) was a Spanish playwright and poet who contributed to the Golden Age of Spanish theater. His works often explored themes of love, honor, and societal norms.

During the 19th century, Manuel Ocana (1808-1887) was a prominent Spanish politician and economist who served as a deputy in the Spanish parliament and advocated for free trade policies.

More recently, José Ocana (1936-2018) was a Spanish sculptor and artist known for his abstract and monumental works, many of which can be found in public spaces across Spain and abroad.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ocaña

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

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

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

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