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

Okland, 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 Okland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okland in America

Okland is the 69170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okland surname appeared 284 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 Okland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okland 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 Okland

The surname OKLAND originated in Norway during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words "okk" meaning "oak" and "land" meaning "land" or "country". The name likely referred to someone who lived near an oak forest or owned land with oak trees.

The earliest recorded mention of the name is found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and documents dating back to the 13th century. One entry from 1297 references an Erling Okland, who was a landowner in the region of Vestfold.

During the 14th century, variations of the spelling appeared, such as Ookland and Okelandr, reflecting dialectal differences and changes in pronunciation over time. The name was particularly common in the western coastal regions of Norway, where oak forests were abundant.

Notable individuals with the surname include Sigurd Okland (1501-1576), a prominent merchant and ship owner from Bergen who played a role in establishing trade routes between Norway and the Netherlands. In the 17th century, Hans Okland (1621-1692) was a respected Lutheran minister and scholar who authored several theological works.

Inga Okland (1824-1898) was a renowned Norwegian folk singer and storyteller, renowned for preserving traditional ballads and tales from her region. Her collection of songs and stories was published posthumously and became an important cultural artifact.

The 19th century saw the name spread to other parts of Scandinavia and beyond, as Norwegian emigrants sought new opportunities abroad. Erik Okland (1851-1931) was among the first to bring the name to the United States, settling in Minnesota in the 1870s and establishing a successful farming community.

Throughout its history, the surname OKLAND has retained its connection to the oak tree and the rural, forested landscapes of Norway. While its geographic distribution has expanded, the name continues to evoke its medieval Nordic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okland

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

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

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

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