2000
#680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.11
Uncommon Last name
Oneal
A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name meaning "champion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 52,668 Americans carry the last name Oneal. That puts it at #733 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,508 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oneal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oneal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
53K
1 in 6,508
Census rank
#733
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
46K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 45,929 bearers of the surname Oneal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 733rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oneal, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oneal
The surname O'Neal has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the western province of Connacht. It is derived from the Gaelic words "Ó Néill," which translates to "descendant of Niall." The name can be traced back to the 4th century, when Niall of the Nine Hostages, a famous High King of Ireland, ruled over the country.
The O'Neals were a powerful Irish clan that held significant influence and territory in what is now County Armagh. They were one of the most prominent families in Ulster and played a crucial role in Irish history, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname O'Neal can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals document the exploits and lineage of several O'Neal chieftains and kings.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname O'Neal was Niall Mór O'Neal, who lived in the 14th century and was a renowned warrior and leader of the O'Neal clan. Another notable figure was Hugh O'Neal, who was the Earl of Tyrone and played a pivotal role in the Nine Years' War against England in the late 16th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the O'Neal clan was involved in numerous conflicts with the English crown, as they sought to maintain their independence and control over their lands in Ulster. This period saw the rise of several prominent O'Neal leaders, such as Shane O'Neal and Hugh O'Neal, Earl of Tyrone, who led the Irish resistance against English rule.
In the 17th century, many O'Neals were forced to leave Ireland due to the Plantation of Ulster, a policy implemented by the English government to confiscate land from Irish Catholic landowners and settle Protestant colonists from England and Scotland. This diaspora led to the spread of the O'Neal surname across other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world.
Other notable individuals with the surname O'Neal include:
1. Tarlough O'Neal (c. 1020-1064), King of Ailech and one of the most powerful Irish kings of his time.
2. Niall Óg O'Neal (c. 1360-1420), a powerful Irish chieftain and Lord of Clanaboy.
3. Shane O'Neal (c. 1530-1567), an Irish chieftain and one of the most famous leaders of the O'Neal clan.
4. Hugh O'Neal, Earl of Tyrone (c. 1550-1616), a renowned Irish military leader who led the Nine Years' War against England.
5. Art O'Neal (1785-1818), an Irish-American explorer and trader who played a significant role in the early exploration of the American West.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oneal
Among Census respondents with the surname Oneal, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Oneal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Oneal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.7% · 28,352
- Black or African American28.8% · 13,248
- Two or more races4.7% · 2,161
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,608
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 302
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 258
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oneal
Oneal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,979
+1,818 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 16.27
Rank movement Down 49 places
2020
#733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,929
-2,050 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 15.37
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #680 | 46,161 | 17.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #729 | 47,979 | 16.27 | +1,818 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 49 places |
| 2020 | #733 | 45,929 | 15.37 | -2,050 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 4 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Oneal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #729 | #733 | -0.5% |
| Count | 47,979 | 45,929 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 16.27 | 15.37 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oneal bearers went from 47,979 to 45,929 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #729 to #733.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Oneal
FAQ
Oneal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oneal?
Name Census estimates that about 52,668 living Americans carry the surname Oneal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,508 residents.
How common is Oneal?
Oneal ranks #733 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 45,929 people with the surname Oneal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (52,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname Oneal.
Has Oneal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oneal went from 47,979 recorded bearers to 45,929. That is a decrease of 2,050 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #729 to #733.
What does the Census say about the background of Oneal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oneal, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.7%. The next largest groups are Black (28.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oneal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.7% (28,352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oneal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.7%), Black (28.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Oneal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Oneal mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from Ó Néill, meaning "descendant of Niall," a personal name meaning "champion." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Oneal (15.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Oneal?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Oneal? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.