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

Ona, 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 Ona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ona in America

Ona is the 37993rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ona surname appeared 584 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 Ona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ona 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 Ona

The surname ONA originates from the Basque region of Spain and France, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to be derived from the Basque word "ona," meaning "good" or "virtuous." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who were considered upright or of good character.

In the 13th century, records from the Kingdom of Navarre mention individuals with the surname Ona, indicating its early presence in the region. One notable example is Juan de Ona, a prominent landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 1200s and held estates near the town of Olite.

The earliest recorded spelling variation of the name appears in a 1302 document from the Archivo General de Navarra, which refers to a certain "Pero Hona." This spelling likely reflects the Basque pronunciation of the name.

During the 16th century, the Ona surname spread beyond the Basque territories as individuals migrated to other parts of Spain and the Americas. In 1544, a registry from the town of Seville mentions a merchant named Miguel de Ona, who traded goods with the Spanish colonies in the New World.

Notable individuals with the Ona surname include:

1. Fray Pedro de Ona (1570-1626), a Franciscan missionary who played a significant role in the evangelization of the indigenous peoples of Chile and wrote an important chronicle of the Mapuche people.

2. Juan de Ona y Cordova (1625-1701), a Spanish military engineer and architect who designed several fortifications and public buildings in the Spanish colonies, including the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.

3. Margarita de Ona (1675-1743), a renowned painter from the Spanish Renaissance period, known for her religious artwork and portraits.

4. José de Ona (1770-1845), a Venezuelan military leader who fought in the Venezuelan War of Independence against Spanish rule and later served as a general in the Venezuelan army.

5. Juana de Ona (1820-1890), a Basque writer and poet who contributed to the revival of Basque literature and culture in the 19th century.

Throughout its history, the Ona surname has been associated with various places, including the town of Ona in the Basque province of Biscay, as well as the villages of Ona and Onate in the province of Gipuzkoa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ona

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

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

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

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