2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ohia
A surname of Hawaiian origin referring to the lehua tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Ohia. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ohia 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Ohia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohia, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.8%) and Two or More Races (9.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ohia
The surname OHIA is believed to have originated in the Hawaiian Islands, specifically on the island of Oahu. It is thought to have derived from the Hawaiian word 'ohia', which refers to a type of evergreen tree native to the islands. The ohia tree is an important part of Hawaiian culture and mythology, and it is believed that the surname may have originally been given to families or individuals who lived near or had a connection to these trees.
While the exact origins of the surname are uncertain, it is thought to have emerged sometime in the 18th or 19th century, when Hawaiians began adopting Western-style surnames. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the OHIA surname can be found in Hawaiian government records and census data from this period.
One notable historical figure with the OHIA surname was Keawe Ohia, a Hawaiian chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his involvement in the conflicts between the various Hawaiian islands and his efforts to maintain the independence of his people.
Another individual of note was Kamaka Ohia, a Hawaiian scholar and historian who lived in the late 19th century. He was instrumental in preserving and documenting Hawaiian language and culture, and his writings remain important sources of information on traditional Hawaiian practices and beliefs.
In the early 20th century, there was a Hawaiian artist named Lehua Ohia who gained recognition for her paintings depicting scenes of island life and traditional Hawaiian customs. Her works are now considered important cultural artifacts and are housed in various museums and private collections.
The surname OHIA also appears in historical records related to the Hawaiian monarchy. For example, there are references to individuals with this surname serving as advisors or members of the royal court during the reigns of various Hawaiian kings and queens.
While the OHIA surname is primarily associated with Hawaii, it is possible that it may have spread to other parts of the world through migration or intermarriage. However, the majority of historical records and notable individuals with this surname can be traced back to the Hawaiian Islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ohia
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohia, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.8%) and Two or More Races (9.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ohia 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 Ohia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.8% · 34
- Two or more races9.6% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- White3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ohia
Ohia appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 7,274 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 Ohia 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 | #153,769 | #146,495 | 4.7% |
| Count | 106 | 114 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ohia bearers went from 106 to 114 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 7,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #146,495.
FAQ
Ohia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ohia?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Ohia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Ohia?
Ohia ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Ohia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ohia.
Has Ohia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ohia went from 106 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Ohia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohia, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.8%) and Two or More Races (9.6%). 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 Ohia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.6% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ohia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.8%), Two or More Races (9.6%). 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 Ohia (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 Ohia mean?
A surname of Hawaiian origin referring to the lehua tree. 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 Ohia (0.04 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 Ohia?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Ohia at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.