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

O'Meara, 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 O'Meara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Meara in America

O'Meara is the 6983rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Meara surname appeared 4,801 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname O'Meara.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Meara 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 O'Meara

The surname OMEARA has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Meachair, which means "descendant of Meachar". The name Meachar itself is derived from the Old Irish word "mechar", meaning "hospitable" or "generous".

The OMEARA family was originally based in County Tipperary, particularly in the baronies of Ikerrin and Eliogarty. They were a prominent clan in the region, holding significant territory and influence. The name can be found in various ancient Irish manuscripts and records from this time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OMEARA name appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1201. This entry refers to a certain Donnchadh Ó Meachair, who was the chief of the clan at that time.

The OMEARA name is also mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, another important source of Irish history, in the year 1376. Here, it refers to Diarmaid Ó Meachair, who was described as a "learned poet and historian".

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the OMEARA clan was involved in various conflicts and upheavals in Ireland, particularly during the Elizabethan and Cromwellian conquests. One notable figure from this period was Donogh OMEARA, who was born in 1550 and served as a member of the Irish Parliament.

Another prominent individual with the OMEARA surname was Dermod OMEARA, who lived in the late 16th century and was a celebrated poet and writer. He is known for his work "The Chase", which is considered one of the earliest examples of Irish literary prose.

In the 18th century, a member of the OMEARA family named John OMEARA (1700-1778) gained recognition as a Catholic priest and theologian. He was a vocal opponent of the Penal Laws that discriminated against Catholics in Ireland at the time.

The surname OMEARA has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballymacomeara (meaning "town of the OMEARA family") and Clonomeara, both located in County Tipperary. These place names reflect the historical presence and influence of the OMEARA clan in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Meara

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Meara.

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 O'Meara 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 O'Meara 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 O'Meara was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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