Oke last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Oke

Of English origin, an old spelling variant of 'oak' referencing the tree.

Oke, 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 Oke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oke in America

Oke is the 29768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oke surname appeared 790 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 Oke.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oke 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 29768 39946 -29.20%
Count 790 517 41.78%
Proportion per 100k 0.27 0.19 34.78%

The history of the last name Oke

The surname OKE originates from England, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ac", meaning "oak" or "oak tree". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent oak tree or in an area with a significant oak forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OKE can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John Oke is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in medieval England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname OKE appeared in various forms, including Oke, Ock, and Oke. These variations reflect the different dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the surname OKE. However, it does include references to place names containing the word "oak", such as Ockham in Surrey and Ockbrook in Derbyshire, suggesting the name's connection to these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname OKE throughout history include:

  1. Sir Thomas Oke (c. 1530-1593), an English merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1590.
  2. Nicholas Oke (c. 1550-1613), an English clergyman and author of several religious works.
  3. Andrew Oke (1759-1847), an English architect responsible for designing various churches and public buildings in Devon.
  4. George Oke (1828-1901), a British artist and landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes.
  5. John Oke (1909-1993), a British journalist and author who covered World War II and wrote several books on military history.

While the surname OKE has ancient roots in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, this report focuses solely on the historical origins and notable bearers of the surname OKE, without delving into modern census data or its use as a first or given name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oke

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

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 Oke was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 32.28% 255
Non-Hispanic Black Only 61.27% 484
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 4.30% 34
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.52% 12
Hispanic Origin 0.63% 5

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 Oke has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 32.28% 51.26% -45.44%
Black 61.27% 41.97% 37.39%
Asian and Pacific Islander 4.30% 3.68% 15.54%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.52% 2.13% -33.42%
Hispanic 0.63% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Oke last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/oke-surname-popularity/.

"Oke last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/oke-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Oke last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/oke-surname-popularity/.

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