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

Onken, 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 Onken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Onken in America

Onken is the 21413th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Onken surname appeared 1,221 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 Onken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Onken 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 Onken

The surname Onken is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "on" meaning "oak" and "ken" meaning "little," suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a small oak tree or grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the late 13th century, when a Henricus Onken was mentioned in a medieval document from the town of Lübeck in northern Germany. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time in the region.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Onke, Onken, and Oncken, in records from the neighboring areas of Mecklenburg and Pomerania. It is possible that the name originated in one of these regions and then spread to other parts of northern Germany.

One notable individual with the surname Onken was Johann Gerhard Oncken (1800-1884), a German Baptist minister who played a significant role in the establishment of the Baptist movement in Germany and other parts of Europe. He is often referred to as the "Father of the German Baptist Church."

Another historical figure with this surname was Hermann Onken (1870-1945), a German naval officer and diplomat who served as the German consul general in Sydney, Australia, during World War I. His actions during this period led to his expulsion from Australia in 1915.

In the 19th century, the name Onken was also found in the United States, likely due to immigration from Germany. One example is William Onken (1838-1905), a German-American brewer who co-founded the Onken Brewing Company in Detroit, Michigan, in the late 1800s.

Moving forward in time, the writer and journalist Olga Onken (1889-1973) was a notable figure in Germany during the early 20th century. She was known for her work as a journalist and her advocacy for women's rights and social reforms.

Finally, Karl Onken (1908-1985) was a German-American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of automotive safety systems, including the three-point seatbelt, which has saved countless lives since its introduction.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Onken

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

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

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

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