2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oura
An uncommon surname possibly of Finnish or Estonian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Oura. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oura 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Oura in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.8%) and White (15.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oura
The surname OURA originates from Finland, tracing its roots back to the early 17th century. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish word "oura," which translates to "furrow" or "groove," possibly referring to the occupation of the earliest bearers of this name as farmers or agricultural workers.
The name OURA was first recorded in the parish records of the Ostrobothnia region, located in western Finland. This area was known for its fertile lands and thriving farming communities, lending credence to the theory of the name's agricultural origins.
One of the earliest documented instances of the OURA surname can be found in the 1624 census records of the village of Kauhava, where a farmer named Matti Oura is listed as a landowner. This record provides valuable insight into the name's longevity and its association with the rural landscape of Finland.
In the late 18th century, the OURA name gained prominence when Jaakko Oura (1730-1803), a prominent Finnish merchant and ship owner, established a successful trading company in the city of Raahe. His descendants continued to play a significant role in the region's economic and cultural spheres.
Another notable figure bearing the OURA surname was Matti Oura (1856-1932), a Finnish politician and journalist who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1907 to 1917. He was a vocal advocate for the rights of Finnish-speaking citizens and played a pivotal role in the country's struggle for independence.
During the 19th century, the OURA name began to spread beyond Finland's borders. In 1876, a Finnish immigrant named Erik Oura (1842-1912) settled in the town of Ishpeming, Michigan, where he worked as a miner and became a respected member of the local Finnish community.
Another notable bearer of the OURA surname was the Finnish artist Kaarlo Oura (1873-1938), known for his vibrant landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of his homeland. His works are celebrated as an important part of Finland's cultural heritage and can be found in numerous art galleries and museums across the country.
While the OURA surname originated in Finland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by Finnish emigrants and their descendants. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the agricultural traditions and rural landscapes of its homeland, a testament to the enduring legacy of this ancient name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oura
Among Census respondents with the surname Oura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.8%) and White (15.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Oura 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 Oura surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.8% · 64
- Two or more races16.8% · 18
- White15.0% · 16
- Black or African American5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oura
Oura appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,187 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 Oura 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 | #150,452 | #151,639 | -0.8% |
| Count | 109 | 107 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oura bearers went from 109 to 107 (-1.8% change). The surname moved down 1,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #151,639.
FAQ
Oura surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oura?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Oura. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Oura?
Oura ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Oura. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Oura.
Has Oura become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oura went from 109 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Oura?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.8%) and White (15.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oura in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oura appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.8%), Two or More Races (16.8%), White (15.0%). 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 Oura (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 Oura mean?
An uncommon surname possibly of Finnish or Estonian origin. 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 Oura (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 common is the surname Oura?
See how many people are called Oura on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.