2000
#39,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 526
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Rare Last name
Opoku
The tree under which royalty sits (in the Akan language).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,219 Americans carry the last name Opoku. That puts it at #14,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Opoku 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 Opoku with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,463
Census rank
#14,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,935 bearers of the surname Opoku in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Opoku, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opoku
The surname Opoku originated from the Akan people of Ghana in West Africa. It is believed to have roots dating back as far as the 13th century during the time of the great ancient Akan empire. Opoku is derived from the Twi language spoken by the Akan and means "hunter" or "brave warrior".
The name Opoku was commonly found among the Ashanti people, one of the major Akan subgroups. Historical records indicate that several Ashanti warriors and chiefs bore this surname, reflecting their prowess and courage in battle. One notable example is Opoku Ware I, the famous Ashanti ruler who reigned from 1720 to 1750 and expanded the Ashanti empire through military conquest.
Ancient Akan oral traditions and folklore often mention individuals with the name Opoku, depicting them as skilled hunters and fearless warriors. The name was held in high regard and bestowed upon those who exhibited bravery, strength, and leadership qualities.
In the 19th century, during the colonial era, several Opokus were recorded in British and Dutch colonial records, reflecting the interactions between European powers and the Akan people. One such individual was Opoku Agyeman, a prominent Ashanti chief who played a significant role in the Anglo-Ashanti wars of the late 1800s.
Other notable historical figures with the surname Opoku include Opoku Ampomah, a renowned Ashanti linguist and scholar in the early 20th century, and Opoku Frefre, a respected Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as the country's first ambassador to the United Nations after independence.
While the name Opoku is primarily associated with the Akan people of Ghana, it has also been adopted by other ethnic groups in West Africa, particularly those with cultural ties to the Akan. Over time, the name has spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opoku
Among Census respondents with the surname Opoku, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Opoku 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 Opoku surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American95.2% · 1,843
- White2.0% · 38
- Two or more races1.6% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opoku
Opoku 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
#21,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,228
+702 bearers (+133.5%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 18,048 places
2020
#14,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,935
+707 bearers (+57.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 6,598 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,378 | 526 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,330 | 1,228 | 0.42 | +702 bearers (+133.5%) | Up 18,048 places |
| 2020 | #14,732 | 1,935 | 0.65 | +707 bearers (+57.6%) | Up 6,598 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 Opoku 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 | #21,330 | #14,732 | 30.9% |
| Count | 1,228 | 1,935 | 57.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.65 | 54.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opoku bearers went from 1,228 to 1,935 (+57.6% change). The surname moved up 6,598 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,330 to #14,732.
FAQ
Opoku surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opoku?
Name Census estimates that about 2,219 living Americans carry the surname Opoku. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,463 residents.
How common is Opoku?
Opoku ranks #14,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,935 people with the surname Opoku. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,219), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Opoku.
Has Opoku become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opoku went from 1,228 recorded bearers to 1,935. That is an increase of 707 (+57.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,330 to #14,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Opoku?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opoku, the largest self-reported group is Black at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Opoku in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (1,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opoku appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (95.2%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Opoku (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 Opoku mean?
The tree under which royalty sits (in the Akan language). 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 Opoku (0.65 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 share the surname Opoku?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.