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

Oncken, 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 Oncken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oncken in America

Oncken is the 76533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oncken surname appeared 251 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 Oncken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oncken 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 Oncken

The surname Oncken has its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Low German word "oncke," which means "uncle" or "man." It is thought that the name was originally given as a nickname or a descriptive term to refer to an older or respected man within a community.

One of the earliest known references to the name Oncken can be found in the church records of Hanover, Germany, from the year 1597. The entry mentions a man named Johann Oncken, who was a farmer in the village of Isernhagen.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Oncken name began to spread across various regions of northern Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg, Lübeck, and Bremen. During this time, the surname also appeared in various place names, such as Onckenhausen and Onckenburg.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Oncken was Johann Gerhard Oncken (1800-1884), a German Baptist minister who is considered the founder of the Baptist movement in Germany. He established the first Baptist church in Hamburg in 1834 and played a significant role in spreading the Baptist faith throughout the country.

Another prominent figure was Hermann Oncken (1869-1945), a German historian and professor who specialized in the study of the Napoleonic era. He authored several books on the subject, including "Napoleon III and the Rise of the Liberal Empire" (1902) and "The Age of Revolution and the Napoleonic Era" (1922).

In the 20th century, Kurt Oncken (1888-1975) was a German diplomat and politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Germany from 1936 to 1938, during the Nazi regime. He played a role in the German annexation of Austria in 1938, although he later fell out of favor with Hitler's government.

Other notable individuals with the surname Oncken include:

1. Gerhard Oncken (1900-1992), a German-American historian and academic who taught at various universities in the United States.
2. Wilhelm Oncken (1838-1905), a German chemist and pioneer in the field of organic chemistry, known for his research on the synthesis of organic compounds.

While the Oncken surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the earliest and most significant historical records and notable individuals associated with this surname can be traced back to its German origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oncken

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

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

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

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