2000
#32,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 661
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Rare Last name
Ojo
A Spanish surname derived from "ojo" meaning "eye", possibly referring to a person with distinctive eyes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,781 Americans carry the last name Ojo. That puts it at #12,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,249 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ojo 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 Ojo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,249
Census rank
#12,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,425 bearers of the surname Ojo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ojo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ojo
The surname "Ojo" is of Spanish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish word "ojo" meaning "eye". In medieval Spain, it was not uncommon for surnames to be derived from physical characteristics or occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Ojo" can be found in the Libro de Repartimiento de Sevilla, a historical document from 1253 that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Seville after its conquest by the Christian monarchs. The document mentions an individual named Pedro Ojo, suggesting that the surname was already in use by that time.
During the 15th century, the surname "Ojo" appeared in various Spanish records and manuscripts, such as the Libro del Repartimiento de Córdoba (1492) and the Libro de Apeos y Repartimientos de Loja (1505). These documents indicate that families bearing the surname "Ojo" were present in different regions of Spain, including Andalusia and Granada.
One notable figure with the surname "Ojo" was Francisco Ojo de Salinas (1564-1641), a Spanish priest and writer who authored several religious works. Another was Juan Ojo de Dios (1600-1668), a Franciscan friar and theologian born in Seville, who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
In the 18th century, Domingo Ojo de Buen Tiempo (1720-1789) was a renowned Spanish navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and the Northwest Coast of America. He is celebrated for his contributions to the exploration and mapping of these regions.
Miguela Ojo de Saavedra (1785-1860) was a prominent figure in the Spanish War of Independence against the French occupation. She played a crucial role in the defense of her hometown, Málaga, and is remembered for her bravery and patriotism.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "Ojo" spread across various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in Latin America, where many descendants of Spanish settlers adopted the name. It remains a relatively common surname in countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ojo
Among Census respondents with the surname Ojo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ojo 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 Ojo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.0% · 2,256
- Two or more races3.0% · 73
- White2.1% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ojo
Ojo 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
#19,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,378
+717 bearers (+108.5%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 13,162 places
2020
#12,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,425
+1,047 bearers (+76.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 7,328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,743 | 661 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,581 | 1,378 | 0.47 | +717 bearers (+108.5%) | Up 13,162 places |
| 2020 | #12,253 | 2,425 | 0.81 | +1,047 bearers (+76.0%) | Up 7,328 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 Ojo 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 | #19,581 | #12,253 | 37.4% |
| Count | 1,378 | 2,425 | 76.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.81 | 72.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ojo bearers went from 1,378 to 2,425 (+76.0% change). The surname moved up 7,328 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,581 to #12,253.
FAQ
Ojo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ojo?
Name Census estimates that about 2,781 living Americans carry the surname Ojo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,249 residents.
How common is Ojo?
Ojo ranks #12,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,425 people with the surname Ojo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ojo.
Has Ojo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ojo went from 1,378 recorded bearers to 2,425. That is an increase of 1,047 (+76.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,581 to #12,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Ojo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ojo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.1%). 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 Ojo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,256 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ojo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), White (2.1%). 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 Ojo (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 Ojo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from "ojo" meaning "eye", possibly referring to a person with distinctive eyes. 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 Ojo (0.81 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 many Americans have the surname Ojo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.