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

Okey, 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 Okey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okey in America

Okey is the 33280th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okey surname appeared 687 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 Okey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okey 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 Okey

The surname OKEY originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to derive from the Old English word "ac," meaning oak, which was often used as a toponymic reference to places where oak trees were abundant.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a John de Oke residing in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a specific location before evolving into a hereditary surname.

In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as Oke, Oak, and Oake, appear in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a William Oke among the taxpayers. These early spellings reflect the influence of regional dialects on the pronunciation and spelling of the name.

By the 16th century, the spelling OKEY had emerged, as evidenced by the marriage record of Johanne Okey in the parish of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in 1591. This spelling likely arose from the pronunciation of the name in certain regions, where the final syllable was emphasized.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname OKEY include:

1. Thomas Okey (c. 1617-1662), an English soldier and regicide who was involved in the trial and execution of King Charles I. He was later executed for his role in the event.

2. John Okey (1608-1662), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and was also involved in the regicide of King Charles I. He was condemned to death but escaped execution by fleeing to the Netherlands.

3. William Okey (1835-1918), an English-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia and played a significant role in the establishment of the state's education system.

4. Robert Okey (1564-1654), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1629 to 1654.

5. Thomas Okey (1779-1846), an English engraver and artist known for his topographical views and architectural illustrations of various cities and buildings in England.

The surname OKEY has also been associated with several place names, such as Oakey in Shropshire, which may have contributed to the development of the name in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okey

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

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

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

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