Oki last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Oki

A Japanese surname, possibly derived from the name of a city or region.

Oki, 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 Oki surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oki in America

Oki is the 36970th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oki surname appeared 604 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 Oki.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oki 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 36970 34342 7.37%
Count 604 624 -3.26%
Proportion per 100k 0.20 0.23 -13.95%

The history of the last name Oki

The surname OKI has its origins in Japan, with the earliest known records dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "oki," which means "offshore" or "in the open sea." This suggests that the name was likely associated with coastal regions or those involved in maritime activities.

During the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the OKI surname was primarily concentrated in the western regions of Japan, particularly in the present-day prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Historical records from this era mention several individuals bearing the OKI name, including the renowned poet and scholar Oki no Yasunori (1007-1072).

As Japan transitioned into the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the OKI surname started to spread across other parts of the country. In the 13th century, the Oki clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Sanyodo region (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture). One notable figure from this period was Oki Masahiro (1253-1326), a skilled warrior and military strategist.

By the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the OKI surname had established a strong presence in various domains and regions. The Oki clan of Hiroshima played a significant role in the governance of their domain, with several Oki daimyo (feudal lords) ruling over the region. One prominent example was Oki Takatoshi (1592-1668), a skilled administrator and patron of the arts.

In the 17th century, the OKI surname also gained recognition in the field of medicine. Oki Genshin (1628-1696), a renowned physician and scholar, made significant contributions to the advancement of medical knowledge and the development of Japanese herbal medicine.

Another notable figure with the OKI surname was Oki Kuranosuke (1785-1841), a prominent merchant and financier during the late Edo period. His business acumen and financial expertise helped shape the economic landscape of his time.

As the years progressed, the OKI surname continued to be associated with various fields, including literature, politics, and academia. However, the detailed historical records and references become more sparse and scattered in more recent times, making it challenging to provide a comprehensive account of the surname's evolution beyond the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oki

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

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 Oki was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.97% 30
Non-Hispanic Black Only 12.42% 75
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 70.53% 426
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 9.11% 55
Hispanic Origin 2.98% 18

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.97% 6.89% -32.38%
Black 12.42% 7.53% 49.02%
Asian and Pacific Islander 70.53% 74.52% -5.50%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 9.11% 7.85% 14.86%
Hispanic 2.98% 3.21% -7.43%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Oki last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/oki-surname-popularity/.

"Oki last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/oki-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

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

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