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

Opong, 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 Opong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opong in America

Opong is the 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opong surname appeared 132 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 Opong.

The history of the last name Opong

The surname OPONG is believed to have originated in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Ghana. It is likely derived from the Efik or Ibibio languages spoken in the Cross River region of Nigeria, where variations of the name such as "Opong" or "Opon" were commonly used.

The earliest recorded instances of the OPONG surname can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries, during the height of the transatlantic slave trade. Many Africans from the region were forcibly taken to the Americas, with some carrying the OPONG name or its variations with them.

In the Caribbean, particularly in Jamaica, the name OPONG appeared in colonial records and documents from the late 18th century. One notable individual was Quamina Opong, a Jamaican Maroon leader who fought against British colonial forces in the late 1700s.

As the descendants of enslaved Africans migrated and settled in various parts of the world, the OPONG surname spread to other regions. In the United States, the name can be found in historical records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in communities with strong African-American roots.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the OPONG surname in the United States was William Opong, born in 1842 in South Carolina. He was a freed slave who became a successful businessman and community leader in the post-Civil War era.

Another notable figure was Nana Opong, a Ghanaian chief and diplomat who lived in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in negotiating treaties between the Ashanti Kingdom and the British colonial authorities.

In more recent times, prominent individuals with the OPONG surname include Ebenezer Opong, a Ghanaian politician and diplomat who served as his country's ambassador to several nations in the 1960s and 1970s.

While the OPONG surname has its roots in West Africa, it has since spread across the globe, carried by the descendants of those who bore this name through centuries of migration, displacement, and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opong

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

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 Opong 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.

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

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

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