2000
#6,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Ohare
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó hÍr," meaning "descendant of Ír," a personal name meaning "abundant" or "prosperous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,809 Americans carry the last name Ohare. That puts it at #6,455 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,004 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ohare 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 Ohare with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,004
Census rank
#6,455
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,066 bearers of the surname Ohare in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6455th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohare, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ohare
The surname OHARE originates from Ireland, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "Ó hAirí," which translates to "descendant of Airí." This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by a member of a prominent Irish family or clan.
OHARE is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname O'Hara or O'Haire. The prefix "O" is a remnant of the Gaelic "Ó," indicating "grandson" or "descendant of." The name was traditionally found in counties such as Sligo, Mayo, and Galway, located in the western regions of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the OHARE surname can be found in the "Annals of the Four Masters," a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It references an individual named Muircheartach O'hAirí, who was described as a learned scholar and poet in the year 1384.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the OHARE name was Eoghan OHARE (c. 1520 - 1590), a prominent Irish soldier and leader of the O'Hara clan. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the English and Irish during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a notable OHARE was Felim OHARE (c. 1600 - 1653), who served as a commander in the Irish Confederate forces. He was later captured and executed by the English for his role in the uprising.
Another notable individual was Jeremiah OHARE (1772 - 1826), an Irish-born American naval officer who served in the United States Navy during the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812. He achieved the rank of Captain and received recognition for his bravery and leadership.
In the realm of literature, Katharine O'Hare (1877 - 1965), an American novelist and playwright, gained recognition for her works depicting Irish-American life and culture in the early 20th century.
While the OHARE surname has undergone various spellings and variations over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to ancient Irish lineages and the rich cultural heritage of Ireland's western regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ohare
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohare, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ohare 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 Ohare surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 4,658
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 221
- Two or more races2.3% · 119
- Black or African American0.7% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ohare
Ohare 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
#6,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,128
+63 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Down 390 places
2020
#6,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,066
-62 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,217 | 5,065 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,607 | 5,128 | 1.74 | +63 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 390 places |
| 2020 | #6,455 | 5,066 | 1.69 | -62 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 152 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 Ohare 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 | #6,607 | #6,455 | 2.3% |
| Count | 5,128 | 5,066 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.74 | 1.69 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ohare bearers went from 5,128 to 5,066 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,607 to #6,455.
FAQ
Ohare surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ohare?
Name Census estimates that about 5,809 living Americans carry the surname Ohare. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,004 residents.
How common is Ohare?
Ohare ranks #6,455 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,066 people with the surname Ohare. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ohare.
Has Ohare become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ohare went from 5,128 recorded bearers to 5,066. That is a decrease of 62 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,607 to #6,455.
What does the Census say about the background of Ohare?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohare, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Ohare in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (4,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ohare appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Ohare (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 Ohare mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó hÍr," meaning "descendant of Ír," a personal name meaning "abundant" or "prosperous." 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 Ohare (1.69 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 Ohare?
See how many people are called Ohare on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.