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

O'Hara, 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 O'Hara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Hara in America

O'Hara is the 1660th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Hara surname appeared 21,710 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname O'Hara.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Hara 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 O'Hara

The surname O'Hara is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Ó hEadhra, meaning "descendant of Eadhra". The name Eadhra itself is a personal name derived from the old Irish word "eidhre", meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous".

The O'Hara clan originated in County Sligo, located in the northwestern part of Ireland. They were a prominent family in the region, with their ancestral homeland centered around the baronies of Leyny and Coolavin. The name first appeared in historical records as early as the 11th century.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the O'Hara name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1235, it records the death of Donnell O'Hara, described as the "chief of Leyny".

In the 14th century, the O'Hara clan rose to prominence under the leadership of Teige O'Hara, who was appointed as the Lord of Leyny by the English Crown. His descendants continued to hold significant power and influence in the region for several centuries.

Notable individuals with the O'Hara surname throughout history include:

1. Jeffery O'Hara (c. 1640 - 1695), an Irish soldier who served in the Jacobite armies during the Williamite War in Ireland.
2. Kane O'Hara (1714 - 1782), an Irish dramatist and actor, best known for his play "Midas".
3. Charles O'Hara (1740 - 1819), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and was present at the Surrender at Yorktown.
4. Theodore O'Hara (1820 - 1867), an American poet and soldier who wrote the famous poem "The Bivouac of the Dead".
5. John O'Hara (1905 - 1970), an American novelist and short story writer, known for works like "Appointment in Samarra" and "Butterfield 8".

While the O'Hara name has its roots in County Sligo, it has since spread across Ireland and beyond, with notable bearers of the surname found in various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Hara

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Hara.

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 O'Hara 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 O'Hara 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 O'Hara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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