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

On, 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 On surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of On in America

On is the 20309th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The On surname appeared 1,309 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 On.

We can also compare 2010 data for On 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 On

The surname "On" is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French word "on," which means "they" or "one." It is thought to have initially been a nickname or a descriptive name given to someone who frequently used the pronoun "on" in their speech.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread in France, and the name "On" started appearing in official records and documents. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the cartulary of the Abbey of Longpont in Normandy, where a person named Guérin On is mentioned in a charter dated 1210.

The name "On" was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France. It is also possible that the name had some connection to the town of Ons-en-Bray, located in the department of Oise, as place names were often adopted as surnames during this period.

In the 14th century, the name "On" appears in the historic records of the city of Rouen, where a certain Pierre On is documented as a merchant in 1348. Another notable early bearer of the name was Jean On, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was mentioned in a chronicle from 1420.

As the centuries passed, the "On" surname spread to other parts of Europe, particularly through migration and military service. In the 16th century, a Dutch soldier named Dirck On served in the Spanish army during the Eighty Years' War. In England, the name appears in records from the 17th century, with Robert On being listed as a freeman of the City of London in 1634.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname "On," including:

1. Nicolas On (c. 1470-1542), a French jurist and author of legal treatises from Normandy.
2. Jean On (c. 1600-1670), a French engraver and painter known for his religious works.
3. Charles On (1770-1835), a French naval officer and explorer who participated in the Baudin expedition to Australia.
4. Édouard On (1836-1914), a French politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.
5. Émile On (1884-1945), a French sculptor known for his public monuments and war memorials.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name On

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

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

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

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