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

Oduor, 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 Oduor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oduor in America

Oduor is the 154907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oduor surname appeared 105 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 Oduor.

The history of the last name Oduor

The surname Oduor has its origins in the Luo ethnic group of western Kenya and eastern Uganda. It is derived from the Luo language and is believed to have first emerged in the 16th century. The name is thought to have originated from the Luo word "duor," which means "to visit" or "to sojourn."

In the 19th century, the name Oduor appeared in several written records and manuscripts documenting the Luo people's history and cultural practices. One notable example is the journal of British explorer John Hanning Speke, who encountered the Luo during his expedition to discover the source of the Nile River in the late 1850s.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname Oduor is believed to be Oduor Owalo, a prominent Luo elder and leader who lived in the late 17th century. He is mentioned in oral histories passed down through generations of the Luo community.

Another notable figure bearing the name Oduor was Jaduong' Oduor, a celebrated Luo warrior and strategist who lived in the early 19th century. He is renowned for his role in defending the Luo territories against invading groups during a period of intense inter-tribal conflicts.

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Oduor was Bethwell Allan Ogot Oduor (1923-2015), a Kenyan historian and academic who made significant contributions to the study of African history and culture. He served as a professor at the University of Nairobi and authored several books on Luo history and traditions.

Another notable individual was Onyango Oduor (1932-2008), a Kenyan politician and member of parliament who represented the Kisumu Rural constituency for several terms. He was also involved in the country's independence movement and served as a cabinet minister in the post-independence government.

Lastly, Okoth Oduor (1945-2010) was a renowned Kenyan writer and playwright who gained acclaim for his works exploring the complexities of modern Kenyan society. His play "Sirengraver's Morning Ride" is considered a classic of Kenyan literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oduor

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

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

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