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

Oclair, 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 Oclair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oclair in America

Oclair is the 39607th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oclair surname appeared 555 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 Oclair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oclair 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 Oclair

The surname OCLAIR has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "ocler," which means "to clear or open up." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a land clearer or forester.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OCLAIR can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a collection of charters and documents from the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille, France. The document, dated around 1190, mentions a person named Petrus Oclair.

In the 13th century, the name OCLAIR appears in several records from the region of Burgundy, France. One notable example is the mention of a Jacques Oclair in the Cartulaire de l'Eglise d'Autun, a cartulary (a collection of charters and other documents) from the Church of Autun, dated around 1245.

During the 14th century, the name OCLAIR began to spread across different regions of France, as well as into neighboring countries. In 1372, a record from the city of Ghent, in present-day Belgium, mentions a merchant named Jehan Oclair.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name OCLAIR was Jean Oclair, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France in the 15th century. He was born around 1410 and served under the command of Joan of Arc, the famous French heroine.

Another notable person with the surname OCLAIR was Nicolas Oclair, a French mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 16th century. He was born in 1545 and is known for his contributions to the development of the Gregorian calendar.

In the 17th century, the name OCLAIR can be found in various records from different parts of Europe. For instance, a German document from 1625 mentions a Johann Oclair, a merchant from the city of Hamburg.

The OCLAIR surname also has a connection to place names. In the region of Normandy, France, there is a small village called Oclair-sur-Risle, which likely takes its name from the surname or vice versa.

Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the surname OCLAIR, including:

1. Marie Oclair (1725-1798), a French painter known for her portraits and landscapes.
2. Pierre Oclair (1772-1845), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
3. Émile Oclair (1880-1954), a French novelist and playwright.
4. Lucien Oclair (1892-1972), a Belgian artist famous for his cubist paintings.
5. Gabrielle Oclair (1918-2005), a French botanist and professor at the University of Paris.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oclair

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

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

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

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