2010
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Ohn
Of Scottish origins, possibly derived from Oghainn meaning yew tree or younger son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 142 Americans carry the last name Ohn. That puts it at #139,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,413,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ohn 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
142
1 in 2,413,763
Census rank
#139,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
124
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 124 bearers of the surname Ohn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohn, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and White (9.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ohn
The surname "OHN" is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "ohn," which means "young" or "descendant." The name may have been initially used as a descriptive term to distinguish a younger family member from an elder with the same first name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "OHN" can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage renderings made to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. The document lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Ohyn" and "Ohynn," hailing from the Scottish counties of Moray and Aberdeenshire.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the name "OHN" was Sir Robert Ohn, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield, and his name can be found in several historical accounts from that period.
During the 16th century, the name "OHN" began to spread beyond Scotland, with records indicating individuals with this surname residing in various parts of England. One notable example is William Ohn, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 1500s. He was a influential figure in the local community and served as a member of the city council.
In the 17th century, the "OHN" surname appeared in the New World, with several families bearing this name settling in the British colonies of North America. One such individual was John Ohn, who arrived in Virginia in the 1630s and established a successful farming community in what is now Fairfax County.
Another prominent figure with the "OHN" surname was Sir William Ohn, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 17th century. He was a staunch supporter of the Jacobite cause and played a significant role in the uprisings against the House of Hanover in the early 1700s.
Throughout the centuries, the "OHN" surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and military leaders. Some notable examples include:
1. James Ohn (1820-1898), a Scottish painter known for his landscapes and portraiture.
2. Margaret Ohn (1865-1942), an English author and historian who wrote extensively on the Victorian era.
3. Sir Robert Ohn (1879-1956), a British Army officer who served in World War I and later became a respected military strategist.
4. Alexander Ohn (1901-1976), a Scottish philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Edinburgh.
5. Elizabeth Ohn (1928-2019), an American poet and writer whose works explored themes of identity and social justice.
While the "OHN" surname may not be as widely recognized as some others, it has a rich and diverse history that spans multiple countries and centuries, reflecting the varied experiences and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ohn
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohn, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and White (9.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ohn 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 Ohn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.4% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino12.9% · 16
- White9.7% · 12
- Two or more races3.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ohn
Ohn 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
#139,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-18 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,469 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #139,059 | 124 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 17,469 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 Ohn 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 | #121,590 | #139,059 | -14.4% |
| Count | 142 | 124 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ohn bearers went from 142 to 124 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 17,469 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #139,059.
FAQ
Ohn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ohn?
Name Census estimates that about 142 living Americans carry the surname Ohn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,413,763 residents.
How common is Ohn?
Ohn ranks #139,059 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 124 people with the surname Ohn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (142), 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 Ohn.
Has Ohn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ohn went from 142 recorded bearers to 124. That is a decrease of 18 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #121,590 to #139,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Ohn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohn, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.9%) and White (9.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ohn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ohn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.4%), Hispanic (12.9%), White (9.7%). 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 Ohn (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 Ohn mean?
Of Scottish origins, possibly derived from Oghainn meaning yew tree or younger son. 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 Ohn (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 Ohn?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Ohn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.