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

Onthank, 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 Onthank surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Onthank in America

Onthank is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Onthank surname appeared 128 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 Onthank.

We can also compare 2010 data for Onthank 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 Onthank

The surname Onthank has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "on" meaning "on" and "thanc" meaning "a hill or ridge." The name likely referred to someone who lived on a prominent hill or ridge.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Onthank name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared as "Thomas de Onethank," suggesting the family may have originated from a place called Onethank.

In the 15th century, the Onthank family was well-established in the county of Ayrshire, Scotland. Records from that time show the name spelled in various ways, such as Onthanc, Onethank, and Onthank. The different spellings were common in those days due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable individual with the Onthank surname was John Onthank, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Ayr, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the town and served as a magistrate and councilor.

In the 17th century, the Onthank family had expanded to other parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh. William Onthank (1620-1692) was a successful merchant and landowner in the city, and his son, also named William Onthank (1650-1718), was a respected minister of the Church of Scotland.

The Onthank name also has ties to the Scottish Enlightenment period of the 18th century. Robert Onthank (1718-1788) was a well-known philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of geometry and calculus.

Another notable figure was Alexander Onthank (1789-1862), a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings. He was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and his works were widely celebrated during his lifetime.

Over the centuries, the Onthank surname has been carried by numerous individuals, each with their own unique stories and contributions to society. While the name may have originated from a geographical feature, it has since become a part of Scotland's rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Onthank

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

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

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

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