2000
#9,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Oman
A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the country of Oman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,610 Americans carry the last name Oman. That puts it at #9,818 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,946 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oman 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 Oman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,946
Census rank
#9,818
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,148 bearers of the surname Oman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9818th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oman
The surname Oman has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of Oman, a country located in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula. The name likely derives from the Arabic word "Oman," which means "fertile upland." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to someone who lived in or came from the Oman region.
The earliest recorded instances of the Oman surname can be traced back to the 12th century. Some historical references to the name include the Oman family, who were prominent landowners in the Oman region during the medieval period. The name also appears in various Arabic manuscripts and records from that time.
One notable individual with the Oman surname was Ahmad bin Said Al-Oman, a 15th-century Omani scholar and poet. He was known for his contributions to Arabic literature and his works on Islamic theology.
In the 16th century, the Oman surname began to spread beyond the Middle East as traders and travelers from the region ventured to other parts of the world. This led to the establishment of Oman communities in places like India and East Africa.
One example of a notable Oman from this period is Sayyid Said bin Sultan Al-Oman, who ruled the Sultanate of Oman from 1804 to 1856. He played a significant role in establishing Oman's maritime trade and expanding its influence in the region.
Another individual with the Oman surname was Fatima Al-Oman, a 19th-century Omani woman who was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of education for girls in the region.
As the name spread and evolved, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Omani, Omanee, and Omanis. These variations were often influenced by the languages and cultures of the regions where Oman communities settled.
Despite its Middle Eastern origins, the Oman surname can now be found in various parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and other regions, reflecting the global reach and influence of the Omani people and their culture throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oman
Among Census respondents with the surname Oman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Oman 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 Oman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 2,780
- Black or African American3.4% · 106
- Two or more races3.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oman
Oman 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
#10,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,198
+36 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 648 places
2020
#9,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,148
-50 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,431 | 3,162 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,079 | 3,198 | 1.08 | +36 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 648 places |
| 2020 | #9,818 | 3,148 | 1.05 | -50 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 261 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 Oman 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 | #10,079 | #9,818 | 2.6% |
| Count | 3,198 | 3,148 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.05 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oman bearers went from 3,198 to 3,148 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 261 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,079 to #9,818.
FAQ
Oman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,610 living Americans carry the surname Oman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,946 residents.
How common is Oman?
Oman ranks #9,818 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,148 people with the surname Oman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,610), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Oman.
Has Oman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oman went from 3,198 recorded bearers to 3,148. That is a decrease of 50 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,079 to #9,818.
What does the Census say about the background of Oman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Oman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (2,780 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Oman (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 Oman mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the country of Oman. 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 Oman (1.05 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 last name Oman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Oman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.