2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Onkka
A surname of Finnish origin, possibly related to the word "onkka" meaning a gap or hole.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Onkka. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onkka 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Onkka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onkka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onkka
The surname Onkka is of Finnish origin, with roots tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Häme, located in southern Finland. The name is thought to derive from the Finnish word "onkka," which means "lame" or "limping." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a physical disability or distinctive gait.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Onkka can be found in a 16th-century Finnish land registry, where a farmer named Matti Onkka was listed as the owner of a small homestead near the town of Hämeenlinna. This record provides evidence that the name was already established in the region by the early modern era.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Onkka name appeared in various parish records and legal documents across southern Finland. Notable individuals from this period include Jaakko Onkka (1645-1712), a respected member of the local clergy, and Liisa Onkka (1723-1798), a renowned weaver whose intricate textiles were highly sought after by the Finnish nobility.
In the 19th century, the Onkka surname began to spread beyond its traditional heartland in Häme. One prominent figure from this era was Juho Onkka (1856-1932), a pioneering Finnish industrialist who founded one of the country's first successful timber companies. His business ventures played a significant role in the development of the Finnish forestry industry.
Another notable bearer of the Onkka name was Aino Onkka (1892-1974), a celebrated Finnish poet and author. Her lyrical works, often inspired by the natural beauty of her homeland, earned her widespread acclaim and a place among Finland's most revered literary figures.
In more recent times, the Onkka surname has continued to be represented in various fields. Matti Onkka (1928-2018) was a respected Finnish historian and academic, known for his extensive research on the country's medieval period. Additionally, Kaisa Onkka (born 1976) is a contemporary Finnish artist whose multimedia installations have been exhibited in galleries across Europe and North America.
While the surname Onkka may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved over centuries to become a distinct and respected Finnish family name. Its long history and enduring presence in Finnish society serve as a testament to the rich cultural tapestry woven by the country's diverse surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onkka
Among Census respondents with the surname Onkka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Onkka 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 Onkka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onkka
Onkka 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,699 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 17,699 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 962 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 Onkka 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 | #152,628 | #153,590 | -0.6% |
| Count | 107 | 104 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onkka bearers went from 107 to 104 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 962 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #153,590.
FAQ
Onkka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onkka?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Onkka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Onkka?
Onkka ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Onkka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Onkka.
Has Onkka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onkka went from 107 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Onkka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onkka, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Onkka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onkka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Onkka (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 Onkka mean?
A surname of Finnish origin, possibly related to the word "onkka" meaning a gap or hole. 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 Onkka (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Onkka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.