2000
#26,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Ok
Derived from Middle English "oke" (oak), an English surname for someone living near oak trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,248 Americans carry the last name Ok. That puts it at #24,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 274,643 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ok 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
1.2K
1 in 274,643
Census rank
#24,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,088 bearers of the surname Ok in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Black (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ok
The surname "OK" has its origins in the small village of Okkenpaal, located in the northern region of the Netherlands. The name can be traced back to the early 16th century, deriving from the Dutch phrase "okken paal," which translates to "oak post" or "oak stake."
During the Dutch Golden Age, the village of Okkenpaal was known for its skilled woodworkers and carpenters who crafted sturdy oak posts and stakes used in construction and fortifications. The name "OK" became associated with these skilled artisans, and it gradually evolved into a surname adopted by families involved in this trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "OK" can be found in the municipal records of the city of Leiden, dated 1582. These records document a carpenter named Pieter OK, who was commissioned to construct a new town hall. Pieter's exceptional craftsmanship earned him a reputation, and his surname became synonymous with quality workmanship.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname "OK" was Joost OK, a master shipbuilder from the town of Enkhuizen. Joost OK (1620-1689) was renowned for his expertise in constructing sturdy and seaworthy vessels, many of which were used by the Dutch East India Company for their lucrative trade routes.
Another prominent individual with the surname "OK" was Willem OK (1745-1812), a skilled architect and engineer from Amsterdam. Willem OK was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several iconic buildings in the city, including the Beurs van Berlage, a renowned stock exchange building that showcased his innovative use of iron and glass.
During the Dutch colonial era, several members of the OK family migrated to the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). One such figure was Hendrik OK (1780-1845), a plantation owner and businessman who amassed considerable wealth through the cultivation and trade of spices and coffee.
In the 19th century, the surname "OK" gained recognition in the field of academia. Pieter OK (1825-1901) was a distinguished linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Dutch and Germanic languages. His comprehensive work, "De Nederlandse Talen en hun Oorsprong" (The Dutch Languages and Their Origins), remains a seminal text in the field of linguistics.
Throughout its history, the surname "OK" has been associated with skilled craftsmanship, innovation, and excellence in various fields, reflecting the legacy of its origins in the Dutch woodworking and construction trades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ok
Among Census respondents with the surname Ok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Black (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ok 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 Ok surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.5% · 811
- White15.3% · 167
- Black or African American3.8% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 37
- Two or more races2.8% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ok
Ok 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
#25,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 961
+111 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 1,217 places
2020
#24,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,088
+127 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 1,652 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,876 | 850 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,659 | 961 | 0.33 | +111 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 1,217 places |
| 2020 | #24,007 | 1,088 | 0.36 | +127 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 1,652 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 Ok 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 | #25,659 | #24,007 | 6.4% |
| Count | 961 | 1,088 | 13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.36 | 10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ok bearers went from 961 to 1,088 (+13.2% change). The surname moved up 1,652 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,659 to #24,007.
FAQ
Ok surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ok?
Name Census estimates that about 1,248 living Americans carry the surname Ok. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 274,643 residents.
How common is Ok?
Ok ranks #24,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,088 people with the surname Ok. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,248), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Ok.
Has Ok become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ok went from 961 recorded bearers to 1,088. That is an increase of 127 (+13.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,659 to #24,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Ok?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ok, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Black (3.8%). 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 Ok in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ok appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.5%), White (15.3%), Black (3.8%). 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 Ok (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 Ok mean?
Derived from Middle English "oke" (oak), an English surname for someone living near oak trees. 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 Ok (0.36 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 people have the surname Ok?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.