2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ofa
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly related to a topographic feature or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Ofa. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ofa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Ofa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ofa
The surname Ofa has its origins in the Pacific island nation of Tonga. It is believed to have originated in the 16th or 17th century, derived from the Tongan word "ofa," which means "love" or "affection." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term or nickname given to someone who was known for their kind and loving nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ofa can be found in the genealogical records of the Tongan royal family. These records mention an individual named Ofa Tuihalangamoetaumafa, who lived in the late 17th century and was a chief of the village of Houma on the island of Tongatapu.
In the 19th century, the name Ofa appeared in various historical documents and records related to the Kingdom of Tonga. For example, Ofa Kilimoetouetonga was a prominent chief who played a significant role in the conversion of Tonga to Christianity in the 1830s.
Another notable figure with the surname Ofa was Ofa Paulsen (1830-1899), a Tongan chief and entrepreneur who helped establish commercial trade between Tonga and other Pacific islands. He was also instrumental in the development of Tonga's export economy, particularly in the areas of coconut oil and copra production.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Ofa began to spread beyond Tonga as Tongan communities emigrated to other parts of the Pacific and beyond. For instance, Ofa Swann (1886-1963) was a prominent Tongan-American businessman and community leader who settled in San Francisco, California, and played a key role in establishing the Tongan community there.
In more recent times, the name Ofa has been carried by individuals such as Ofa Tuungafasi (born 1992), a professional rugby player who has represented Tonga and New Zealand at the international level. Another notable figure is Ofa Guttenbeil-Likiliki (born 1969), a Tongan-New Zealand writer and academic who has authored several books and articles on Pacific literature and culture.
While the surname Ofa may not be as widely recognized as some other surnames, it has a rich history and cultural significance that is deeply rooted in the Pacific island nation of Tonga. Its meaning of "love" or "affection" reflects the warmth and hospitality that is often associated with Tongan culture and its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ofa
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ofa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ofa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.3% · 97
- White3.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ofa
Ofa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,122 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Up 6,122 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ofa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #159,712 | #153,590 | 3.8% |
| Count | 101 | 104 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ofa bearers went from 101 to 104 (+3.0% change). The surname moved up 6,122 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #153,590.
FAQ
Ofa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ofa?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Ofa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Ofa?
Ofa ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Ofa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ofa.
Has Ofa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ofa went from 101 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 3 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Ofa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ofa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ofa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.3%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ofa (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ofa mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly related to a topographic feature or place name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ofa (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ofa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.