2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Onefeather
An English surname derived from a physical characteristic or quality describing an individual with a single feather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Onefeather. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onefeather 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Onefeather in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onefeather, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onefeather
The surname Onefeather is believed to have originated in the Native American tribes of North America, particularly among the Cherokee and Choctaw nations. The name itself is an anglicized version of a Choctaw word meaning "one who carries a feather" or "feather bearer."
In the early days of European colonization, it was common for Native Americans to adopt anglicized versions of their names to better assimilate into the new society. The Onefeather name likely emerged during this period as a way to preserve a part of the individual's cultural heritage while adapting to the new linguistic norms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Onefeather name can be found in the records of the Cherokee Nation in the late 18th century. A man named Tsi-yu Onefeather was listed as a respected elder and member of the Cherokee Council in the 1790s.
Another notable individual with the Onefeather surname was Sequoyah Onefeather, a Cherokee scholar and linguist who lived from 1770 to 1843. He is best known for creating the Cherokee syllabary, a writing system that helped preserve the Cherokee language and promote literacy among his people.
In the 19th century, the Onefeather name appeared in various records and historical accounts related to the forced relocation of Native American tribes, known as the Trail of Tears. Benjamin Onefeather, a Choctaw chief who lived from 1798 to 1865, was one of the leaders who fought against the removal but was ultimately forced to lead his people on the grueling journey westward.
During the same period, a woman named Ahyoka Onefeather (1800-1880) gained recognition for her role as a respected medicine woman and healer among the Choctaw people. Her knowledge of traditional herbal remedies and healing practices was widely sought after by her community.
In more recent times, the Onefeather name has been carried on by notable figures such as John Onefeather (1921-2003), a prominent artist and sculptor from the Choctaw Nation, whose works celebrated the richness of Native American culture and traditions.
While the Onefeather surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has come to represent the resilience, strength, and cultural pride of the Native American communities that have carried it through generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onefeather
Among Census respondents with the surname Onefeather, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Onefeather 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 Onefeather surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native80.5% · 95
- Two or more races11.0% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- White1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onefeather
Onefeather appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 6,941 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 Onefeather 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 | #150,452 | #143,511 | 4.6% |
| Count | 109 | 118 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onefeather bearers went from 109 to 118 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 6,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #143,511.
FAQ
Onefeather surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onefeather?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Onefeather. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Onefeather?
Onefeather ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Onefeather. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Onefeather.
Has Onefeather become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onefeather went from 109 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Onefeather?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onefeather, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 80.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Onefeather in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.5% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onefeather appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (80.5%), Two or More Races (11.0%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Onefeather (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 Onefeather mean?
An English surname derived from a physical characteristic or quality describing an individual with a single feather. 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 Onefeather (0.04 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 have the last name Onefeather?
Want to know how many people are called Onefeather? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.