2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Onyett
A variant of the French surname Onier, derived from the given name Yon, itself from the Biblical John.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Onyett. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onyett 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 Onyett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Onyett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onyett
The surname Onyett is of English origin, originating in the county of Oxfordshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ony" or "onny," meaning "one," and "hytt" or "hitt," meaning "a small hill or mound." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a solitary hill or mound.
The earliest known record of the surname Onyett dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This document lists a person named William Onyhytte, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern surname.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various parish records and manuscripts, often spelled as Oniet, Onyat, or Onniet. One notable record is from the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Banbury, Oxfordshire, which mentions a Thomas Onyet in 1582.
The Onyett surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded is John Onyett, born in 1612 in Warwickshire, who was a respected landowner and local magistrate.
Another prominent figure was William Onyett (1715-1789), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Oxfordshire. He was known for his charitable contributions to various causes, including the establishment of a school for underprivileged children in his hometown.
In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the works of author and poet Mary Onyett (1826-1902). She published several collections of poems and was widely praised for her vivid descriptions of the English countryside.
Sir Henry Onyett (1867-1944) was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery in battle and later became a prominent figure in local government in Oxfordshire.
More recently, the name has been carried by the renowned historian and academic, Professor Elizabeth Onyett (1934-2021). She was a leading expert on medieval English history and authored numerous books and scholarly articles on the subject.
While the Onyett surname has its roots in Oxfordshire, it has since spread to various other parts of England and beyond, with descendants bearing the name found in various regions and countries around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onyett
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Onyett 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 Onyett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 111
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onyett
Onyett 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+11 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 548 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-19 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 548 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 18,246 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 Onyett 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 | #128,249 | #146,495 | -14.2% |
| Count | 133 | 114 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onyett bearers went from 133 to 114 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 18,246 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #146,495.
FAQ
Onyett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onyett?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Onyett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Onyett?
Onyett ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Onyett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Onyett.
Has Onyett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onyett went from 133 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Onyett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onyett, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Onyett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onyett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Black (0.9%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Onyett (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 Onyett mean?
A variant of the French surname Onier, derived from the given name Yon, itself from the Biblical John. 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 Onyett (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 are called Onyett?
See how many people have the last name Onyett on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.