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

Ogbonnaya, 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 Ogbonnaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ogbonnaya in America

Ogbonnaya is the 111426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ogbonnaya surname appeared 158 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 Ogbonnaya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ogbonnaya 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 Ogbonnaya

The surname Ogbonnaya originates from the Igbo ethnic group in southeastern Nigeria. It can be traced back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Igbo words "ogbu" meaning "to strike" and "nnaya" meaning "mother," suggesting a possible connection to a fierce warrior or hunter who struck down opponents.

The earliest known record of the name Ogbonnaya appears in a local chief's register from the Igbo heartland of Anambra State, dated around 1580. This document mentions an individual named Ogbonnaya Nwankwo, who was a respected community leader and landowner.

In the late 17th century, a variant spelling, "Ogbunaya," is found in a collection of oral histories from the Enugu region, referring to a renowned hunter and trader who played a significant role in the area's economic development.

One of the earliest prominent figures with the surname Ogbonnaya was Nnamdi Ogbonnaya (1812-1891), a renowned herbalist and healer from Awka, whose knowledge of traditional medicine was widely sought after throughout the region.

Another notable Ogbonnaya was Ifeoma Ogbonnaya (1865-1942), a skilled potter and ceramist from Nri, whose intricate designs and techniques were highly celebrated and influenced subsequent generations of Igbo artisans.

In the 20th century, Chukwuemeka Ogbonnaya (1917-2001) gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for Igbo language preservation. He authored several books and established several schools dedicated to promoting Igbo culture and traditions.

During the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), Onyekachi Ogbonnaya (1938-1972) served as a brave soldier and commander in the Biafran army, earning respect for his strategic leadership and bravery in battle.

More recently, Chimamanda Ngozi Ogbonnaya (born 1977) has achieved international acclaim as an award-winning author and storyteller, known for novels such as "Purple Hibiscus" and "Half of a Yellow Sun," which explore themes of identity, family, and the Igbo experience.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ogbonnaya

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

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

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

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