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

Onan, 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 Onan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Onan in America

Onan is the 24090th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Onan surname appeared 1,045 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 Onan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Onan 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 Onan

The surname Onan is believed to have originated from the Hebrew name Onan, which is found in the biblical book of Genesis. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "onen," meaning "vigorous" or "strong."

Onan was a son of Judah, one of the twelve sons of the biblical patriarch Jacob. According to the biblical account, Onan refused to fulfill his duty of providing an heir for his deceased brother, and as a result, he was punished by God. This biblical story has led to the term "Onanism" being associated with certain sexual practices.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Onan can be traced back to the Middle Ages in various parts of Europe. In England, the name is found in records dating back to the 13th century, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Richard Onan in Bedfordshire.

In France, the surname Onan is recorded as early as the 12th century, with a notable figure being Hugues Onan, a knight who participated in the Third Crusade during the late 12th century.

In Germany, the name is found in records from the 14th century, with variations such as Onann and Onandt appearing in various regions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Onan was Sir John Onan, an English landowner who lived during the 14th century and is mentioned in the Chancery Rolls of 1386.

Another notable figure was William Onan, an English merchant and businessman who lived in the 16th century and was involved in the trade of wool and textiles with the Netherlands.

In the 17th century, a French Huguenot named Pierre Onan fled to England during the religious persecution and settled in London, where his descendants continued to use the surname.

In the 18th century, a Scottish minister named Robert Onan was known for his influential sermons and writings on theology.

During the 19th century, an American politician named Joseph Onan served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania between 1845 and 1849.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Onan

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

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

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

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