2000
#11,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,401
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Okane
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán," a personal name meaning "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,679 Americans carry the last name Okane. That puts it at #12,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Okane 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 Okane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,941
Census rank
#12,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,336 bearers of the surname Okane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Okane, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Okane
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Okane
Among Census respondents with the surname Okane, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Okane 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 Okane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 2,101
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 103
- Two or more races3.1% · 72
- Black or African American1.5% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Okane
Okane 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
#11,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,621
+220 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 1 places
2020
#12,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,336
-285 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,937 | 2,401 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,936 | 2,621 | 0.89 | +220 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 1 places |
| 2020 | #12,618 | 2,336 | 0.78 | -285 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 682 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 Okane 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 | #11,936 | #12,618 | -5.7% |
| Count | 2,621 | 2,336 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.78 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Okane bearers went from 2,621 to 2,336 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 682 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,936 to #12,618.
FAQ
Okane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Okane?
Name Census estimates that about 2,679 living Americans carry the surname Okane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,941 residents.
How common is Okane?
Okane ranks #12,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,336 people with the surname Okane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Okane.
Has Okane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Okane went from 2,621 recorded bearers to 2,336. That is a decrease of 285 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,936 to #12,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Okane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Okane, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Okane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (2,101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Okane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Okane (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 Okane mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Catháin," meaning "descendant of Cathán," a personal name meaning "warrior." 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 Okane (0.78 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 Okane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.