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

O'Kane, 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 O'Kane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Kane in America

O'Kane is the 11936th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Kane surname appeared 2,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname O'Kane.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Kane 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 O'Kane

The surname OKANE originated in Ireland, with records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic Ó Canainn, meaning "descendant of Canann" or "son of Canann". Canann is a personal name of uncertain meaning, possibly from the Old Irish word "cain", meaning "chief" or "leader".

The OKANE surname is found primarily in the counties of Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary in southern Ireland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century, which mentions "Donill O'Canann" in the year 1171.

In the 14th century, the name is recorded in various Irish manuscripts and legal documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, which mention "Willielmus O'Canann" in 1302. The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which record land grants and appointments, referencing "Dermitius O'Canann" in 1552.

Notable individuals with the surname OKANE throughout history include:

1. Richard O'Kane (1914-1994), a highly decorated United States Navy submarine commander during World War II, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the war.
2. John O'Kane (1622-1662), an Irish Catholic priest and philosopher who wrote the influential treatise "Divinae Fidei Analysis".
3. Maureen O'Kane (born 1938), an Irish actress known for her roles in films such as "The Commitments" and "Waking Ned Devine".
4. Walter J. O'Kane (1880-1971), an American entomologist and professor at the University of New Hampshire, who made significant contributions to the study of insect ecology and pest control.
5. Patrick O'Kane (1847-1925), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, from 1888 to 1925.

The OKANE surname has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as O'Kane's Well in County Londonderry and O'Kane's Bridge in County Antrim, reflecting the historical presence of the family in those regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Kane

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Kane.

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 O'Kane 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 O'Kane 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 O'Kane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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