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

O'Neal, 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 O'Neal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Neal in America

O'Neal is the 42237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Neal surname appeared 514 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 O'Neal.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Neal 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 O'Neal

The surname Odneal is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with its roots potentially traced back to Anglo-Saxon and Old English languages. It is considered a locational name, derived from a specific place or geographical feature.

One possible origin of the name Odneal can be linked to the Old English words "od" meaning wealth or prosperity, and "neal" meaning near or close by. This combination may have referred to a prosperous or affluent area, suggesting that the name's origins are related to a place known for its wealth or agricultural productivity.

Another theory suggests that Odneal might be a variation of the surname Odonnell, which is of Irish origin and derived from the Gaelic personal name Domhnall, meaning "world ruler" or "world mighty." This connection could indicate that some early bearers of the name Odneal had Irish ancestry or were part of the Irish diaspora in England.

Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals with the surname Odneal, or similar spellings like Odenel or Odeneale, residing in various parts of England, particularly in counties like Essex, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. However, there are no definitive references to the name in major historical documents like the Domesday Book.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Odneal can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327, which list a John Odneal as a taxpayer. Another early example is Robert Odeneale, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.

Some notable individuals with the surname Odneal throughout history include:

1. William Odneal (c. 1550 - 1620), an English merchant and landowner from Suffolk, who established a successful trading business in London.

2. Thomas Odneal (1627 - 1703), an English clergyman and author, known for his theological writings and sermons.

3. Mary Odneal (1720 - 1785), a pioneer settler in the American colonies, who helped establish one of the first communities in what is now West Virginia.

4. John Odneal (1789 - 1862), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected navigator and cartographer.

5. Elizabeth Odneal (1845 - 1921), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first girls' schools in California.

While the surname Odneal is not among the most common in England or other parts of the world, it has a long and fascinating history, with potential connections to various regions, languages, and cultural influences throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Neal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Neal.

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 O'Neal 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 O'Neal 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 O'Neal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of O'Neal, 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!