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

Oja, 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 Oja surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oja in America

Oja is the 24012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oja surname appeared 1,050 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Oja.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oja 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 Oja

The surname Oja is believed to have originated in the Basque region of Spain and France, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Basque word "oja," meaning "leaf" or "foliage," possibly indicating that the original bearer of the name lived near a wooded area or had some connection to forestry or agriculture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oja can be found in a census record from the town of Durango, Spain, in the year 1548. This document lists a Juan de Oja as a resident of the town. Another early reference is from the 1590s, when a Pedro Oja is mentioned in a legal document from the village of Villabona in the province of Gipuzkoa, Spain.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread beyond the Basque region, with records showing individuals bearing the surname Oja in various parts of Spain and even in some parts of Latin America, likely due to the Spanish colonization efforts in the Americas during that time period.

One notable figure with the surname Oja was Domingo de Oja, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Chile in the late 16th century. He was born around 1550 in the town of Azpeitia, in the Basque region, and played a significant role in the battles against the indigenous Mapuche people in what is now southern Chile.

Another historical figure was Juan Oja, a Basque merchant who lived in the 17th century and was involved in trade between Spain and the Americas. He was born in the town of Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, in 1625 and is known for his extensive business dealings, particularly in the export of Basque products to the Spanish colonies in the New World.

In the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname Oja was María Oja, a Spanish nun and author who lived in the city of Bilbao. Born in 1712, she wrote several religious texts and is considered an important figure in the literary and religious traditions of the Basque Country.

Moving into the 19th century, one prominent figure was Ramón Oja, a Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Spanish parliament in the late 1800s. He was born in the town of Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1834 and was known for his advocacy of liberal policies and his support for the development of the Basque region.

Another individual of note was Pedro Oja, a Basque artist and painter who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1865 in the town of Rentería, he was renowned for his landscapes and portraits depicting scenes from the Basque Country and its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oja

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Oja.

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 Oja 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 Oja 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 Oja was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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