2000
#13,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,019
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Ofarrell
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Fearghal," derived from the Gaelic elements "fear" (man) and "ghal" (valor).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,414 Americans carry the last name Ofarrell. That puts it at #13,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,986 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ofarrell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ofarrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,986
Census rank
#13,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,105 bearers of the surname Ofarrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofarrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ofarrell
The surname O'Farrell has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Faracháin, which means "descendant of Farachán." Farachán is an Irish personal name that may be a diminutive of the name Fearghus, meaning "man of vigor" or "virile man."
The O'Farrells were part of the Uí Bairrche, a powerful ancient Irish dynasty that ruled over the territory of Tír Chonaill, now known as County Longford and parts of County Westmeath. The name first appeared in historical records in the 11th century, when the O'Farrells were mentioned as chieftains and lords of their territories.
One of the earliest recorded O'Farrells was Muircheartach O'Farrell, who was the Lord of Annaly (a territory in County Longford) in the late 11th century. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, for his involvement in battles and conflicts during that period.
Another notable O'Farrell was Fergal O'Farrell, who was the Abbot of the Cistercian Abbey of Laraghbrien in County Kildare in the 13th century. He is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters as having died in 1287.
In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the O'Farrells were among the Irish clans that resisted the English colonization of their lands. One of the most famous O'Farrells from this period was Felim O'Farrell, who was a leader of the Irish forces during the Nine Years' War (1593-1603) against the English.
Another notable O'Farrell was Daniel O'Farrell, an Irish Franciscan friar who lived in the 17th century. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his work "The Lives of the Irish Saints" published in 1647.
In more recent history, one of the most famous O'Farrells was William O'Farrell (1833-1915), an Australian politician and businessman who served as the Premier of New South Wales from 1899 to 1904.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ofarrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofarrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ofarrell 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 Ofarrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 1,890
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 105
- Two or more races3.5% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ofarrell
Ofarrell appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,127
+108 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 368 places
2020
#13,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,105
-22 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,759 | 2,019 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,127 | 2,127 | 0.72 | +108 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 368 places |
| 2020 | #13,760 | 2,105 | 0.70 | -22 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 367 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 Ofarrell 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 | #14,127 | #13,760 | 2.6% |
| Count | 2,127 | 2,105 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.70 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ofarrell bearers went from 2,127 to 2,105 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 367 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,127 to #13,760.
FAQ
Ofarrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ofarrell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,414 living Americans carry the surname Ofarrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,986 residents.
How common is Ofarrell?
Ofarrell ranks #13,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,105 people with the surname Ofarrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ofarrell.
Has Ofarrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ofarrell went from 2,127 recorded bearers to 2,105. That is a decrease of 22 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,127 to #13,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Ofarrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ofarrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ofarrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (1,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ofarrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Ofarrell (2000, 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 Ofarrell mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Fearghal," derived from the Gaelic elements "fear" (man) and "ghal" (valor). 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 Ofarrell (0.70 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 common is the surname Ofarrell?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Ofarrell, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.