2000
#84,310
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Ogunleye
A Nigerian surname meaning "from the household or compound of the blacksmith".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 724 Americans carry the last name Ogunleye. That puts it at #37,855 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 473,418 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ogunleye 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 Ogunleye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
724
1 in 473,418
Census rank
#37,855
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
631
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 631 bearers of the surname Ogunleye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 37855th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogunleye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ogunleye
The surname Ogunleye has its origins in the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It is a combination of two words from the Yoruba language - "Ogun" meaning "war" or "iron," and "leye" meaning "to worship" or "to venerate." Together, the name can be interpreted as "one who venerates war" or "one who worships iron."
This surname likely emerged during the pre-colonial era when the Yoruba kingdoms were prominent in the region. The Yoruba people have a rich history of metalworking and warfare, which could explain the significance of the name's meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ogunleye surname can be found in the archives of the Oyo Empire, a powerful Yoruba kingdom that existed between the 16th and 19th centuries. These records document individuals with the name participating in various roles within the empire's military and administrative structures.
In the 19th century, the spread of Christianity and the influence of European colonization led to some variations in the spelling of the name, such as Ogunlaye or Ogunleye-Shoyinka.
Notable individuals with the surname Ogunleye include:
1. Reverend Samuel Adjai Crowther (1809-1891), a Yoruba linguist and the first African bishop of the Anglican Church.
2. Akanni Ogunleye (born 1981), a Nigerian-American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) for several teams.
3. Femi Ogunleye (born 1976), a Nigerian lawyer and author known for his works on human rights and environmental justice.
4. Wale Ogunleye (born 1982), a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and several international leagues.
5. Adebayo Ogunleye (born 1977), a Nigerian-American former professional football player who played in the NFL for several teams.
While the Ogunleye surname has its roots in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name continues to carry the historical significance of its origins and serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ogunleye
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogunleye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ogunleye 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 Ogunleye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.7% · 585
- Two or more races4.1% · 26
- White2.7% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ogunleye
Ogunleye 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
#52,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 391
+184 bearers (+88.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 31,340 places
2020
#37,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 631
+240 bearers (+61.4%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 15,115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #84,310 | 207 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,970 | 391 | 0.13 | +184 bearers (+88.9%) | Up 31,340 places |
| 2020 | #37,855 | 631 | 0.21 | +240 bearers (+61.4%) | Up 15,115 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 Ogunleye 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 | #52,970 | #37,855 | 28.5% |
| Count | 391 | 631 | 61.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.21 | 62.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ogunleye bearers went from 391 to 631 (+61.4% change). The surname moved up 15,115 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,970 to #37,855.
FAQ
Ogunleye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ogunleye?
Name Census estimates that about 724 living Americans carry the surname Ogunleye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 473,418 residents.
How common is Ogunleye?
Ogunleye ranks #37,855 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 631 people with the surname Ogunleye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (724), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Ogunleye.
Has Ogunleye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ogunleye went from 391 recorded bearers to 631. That is an increase of 240 (+61.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,970 to #37,855.
What does the Census say about the background of Ogunleye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ogunleye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ogunleye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ogunleye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%), White (2.7%). 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 Ogunleye (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 Ogunleye mean?
A Nigerian surname meaning "from the household or compound of the blacksmith". 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 Ogunleye (0.21 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 have the surname Ogunleye?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.