2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Onions
A surname derived from an occupational reference to an onion seller or farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Onions. 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 Onions 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 Onions with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Onions 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 Onions, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onions
The surname Onions is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the occupational name for someone who grew or sold onions. It is thought to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the Middle English period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Onions can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, England, from 1273, where it appears as "Willelmus le Onion." This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname or a reference to someone's occupation.
In the 14th century, the surname Onions also appeared in various forms in historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it was recorded as "Thomas le Onyons." This spelling variation indicates the influence of regional dialects on the name's pronunciation and written form.
The name Onions may also have been derived from a place name, as there are several locations in England with names like Onion Hill or Onion Field. For example, in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1199, there is a reference to "Hugh de Onion," which could indicate a connection to a specific place.
Notable historical figures with the surname Onions include:
1. Sir Peter Onions (1607-1688), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northampton in the 17th century.
2. John Onions (1707-1783), an English botanist and horticulturist known for his work on cultivating and promoting the use of various vegetable crops, including onions.
3. Elizabeth Onions (1768-1847), an English author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Rosina." She published several collections of poetry and prose works during her lifetime.
4. Charles Trice Martin Onions (1873-1965), an English philologist and lexicographer who worked on the Oxford English Dictionary and authored several books on English etymology and semantics.
5. Oliver Onions (1873-1961), an English novelist and short story writer who is best known for his supernatural and horror fiction works, such as "The Beckoning Fair One" and "Widdershins."
While the surname Onions may have originated from humble beginnings, its history reflects the diverse occupations and achievements of those who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onions
Among Census respondents with the surname Onions, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Onions 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 Onions surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Black or African American4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onions
Onions 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,218 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13,218 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,184 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 Onions 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 | #137,327 | #143,511 | -4.5% |
| Count | 122 | 118 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onions bearers went from 122 to 118 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #143,511.
FAQ
Onions surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onions?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Onions. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Onions?
Onions 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 Onions. 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 Onions.
Has Onions become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onions went from 122 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Onions?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onions, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Onions in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onions appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Black (4.2%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Onions (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 Onions mean?
A surname derived from an occupational reference to an onion seller or farmer. 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 Onions (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 surname Onions?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.