2000
#108,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Onyango
A Kenyan surname meaning "born during the rains".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 599 Americans carry the last name Onyango. That puts it at #44,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 572,211 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onyango 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
599
1 in 572,211
Census rank
#44,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
522
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 522 bearers of the surname Onyango in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyango, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and White (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onyango
The surname Onyango originates from the Luo ethnic group in Kenya and parts of Uganda. Its roots can be traced back to the 17th century in the region around Lake Victoria. The name is derived from the Luo word "onyang'o," which means "born during the rainy season."
Historically, the Onyango name was prevalent among the Luo communities residing along the shores of Lake Victoria. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in oral histories and genealogical accounts passed down through generations within these communities.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Onyango was Onyango Dunde, a renowned Luo chief who lived in the late 18th century. He was revered for his leadership and wisdom in resolving conflicts among the Luo clans.
In the 19th century, Onyango Makagunga, a Luo trader and diplomat, played a significant role in facilitating trade and diplomatic relations between the Luo communities and the British colonial administration in East Africa.
During the 20th century, several notable figures emerged with the Onyango surname. Onyango Ayoo (1904-1987) was a prominent Luo politician and one of the first members of the Legislative Council in colonial Kenya, representing the interests of the Luo people.
Onyango Obbo (1914-1996), a Luo writer and educator, made significant contributions to the preservation of Luo culture and language through his literary works and advocacy for education.
Another prominent figure was Onyango Oloo (1920-2003), a Kenyan politician and trade unionist who played a pivotal role in Kenya's independence movement and the formation of the country's labor unions.
While the Onyango surname has its roots in the Luo communities of East Africa, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name remains deeply rooted in its cultural and linguistic origins, reflecting the rich heritage of the Luo people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onyango
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyango, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and White (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Onyango 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 Onyango surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.7% · 468
- Two or more races4.6% · 24
- White4.0% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onyango
Onyango 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
#54,178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 381
+230 bearers (+152.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 54,556 places
2020
#44,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 522
+141 bearers (+37.0%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 9,837 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,734 | 151 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,178 | 381 | 0.13 | +230 bearers (+152.3%) | Up 54,556 places |
| 2020 | #44,341 | 522 | 0.17 | +141 bearers (+37.0%) | Up 9,837 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 Onyango 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 | #54,178 | #44,341 | 18.2% |
| Count | 381 | 522 | 37.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.17 | 34.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onyango bearers went from 381 to 522 (+37.0% change). The surname moved up 9,837 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,178 to #44,341.
FAQ
Onyango surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onyango?
Name Census estimates that about 599 living Americans carry the surname Onyango. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 572,211 residents.
How common is Onyango?
Onyango ranks #44,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 522 people with the surname Onyango. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (599), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Onyango.
Has Onyango become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onyango went from 381 recorded bearers to 522. That is an increase of 141 (+37.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,178 to #44,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Onyango?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyango, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and White (4.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Onyango in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (468 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onyango appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), White (4.0%). 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 Onyango (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 Onyango mean?
A Kenyan surname meaning "born during the rains". 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 Onyango (0.17 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 Onyango?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Onyango on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.