2000
#87,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Owolabi
A Yoruba surname meaning "wealth has arrived" or "brings wealth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 970 Americans carry the last name Owolabi. That puts it at #29,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 353,355 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Owolabi 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 Owolabi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
970
1 in 353,355
Census rank
#29,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
846
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 846 bearers of the surname Owolabi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Owolabi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Owolabi
The surname "OWOLABI" is of Nigerian origin, deriving from the Yoruba language. It is a compound name formed from the words "owo" meaning "wealth" or "prosperity," and "ola" meaning "honor" or "dignity." The suffix "-bi" is a common ending in Yoruba names, indicating a quality or characteristic. Thus, the name OWOLABI can be interpreted as "one who brings or possesses honorable wealth or prosperity."
The Yoruba people are an ethnic group predominantly found in southwestern Nigeria, with some populations also present in neighboring countries like Benin and Togo. The name OWOLABI is believed to have emerged within the Yoruba cultural sphere during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 13th or 14th century.
Historically, the name OWOLABI can be traced back to the ancient Oyo Empire, a powerful Yoruba kingdom that flourished between the 16th and 19th centuries. It is likely that the name was borne by individuals of noble or distinguished lineage within the empire, as the meaning suggests a person of honorable wealth and standing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OWOLABI can be found in the oral traditions and historical accounts passed down through generations of Yoruba storytellers and griots. These narratives often featured individuals bearing the name, highlighting their achievements and contributions to the community.
Notable figures throughout history who carried the surname OWOLABI include:
1. Owolabi Adegboyega (1893-1972), a prominent Nigerian educator and one of the founding members of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a cultural organization dedicated to promoting Yoruba heritage.
2. Owolabi Akinwande (1912-1988), a renowned Nigerian playwright and author, best known for his influential work "Ìgbàkejì," which explored themes of cultural identity and tradition.
3. Owolabi Olunloyo (1920-2003), a distinguished Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence and the development of its legal system.
4. Owolabi Amosun (1937-2011), a celebrated Nigerian artist and sculptor, whose works showcased the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Yoruba people.
5. Owolabi Ogundeji (1949-present), a prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, recognized for his contributions to economic development and social welfare initiatives in his home country.
While the surname OWOLABI has its roots in the Yoruba culture, it has since spread to other parts of Nigeria and beyond, as people migrated and settled in different regions. The name continues to be a source of pride and cultural identity for those who bear it, serving as a reminder of the rich heritage and values associated with honorable wealth and dignity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Owolabi
Among Census respondents with the surname Owolabi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Owolabi 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 Owolabi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.1% · 788
- Two or more races2.2% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 14
- White1.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Owolabi
Owolabi 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
#48,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
+235 bearers (+119.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 38,929 places
2020
#29,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 846
+414 bearers (+95.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 19,096 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,729 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,800 | 432 | 0.15 | +235 bearers (+119.3%) | Up 38,929 places |
| 2020 | #29,704 | 846 | 0.28 | +414 bearers (+95.8%) | Up 19,096 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 Owolabi 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 | #48,800 | #29,704 | 39.1% |
| Count | 432 | 846 | 95.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.28 | 88.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Owolabi bearers went from 432 to 846 (+95.8% change). The surname moved up 19,096 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,800 to #29,704.
FAQ
Owolabi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Owolabi?
Name Census estimates that about 970 living Americans carry the surname Owolabi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 353,355 residents.
How common is Owolabi?
Owolabi ranks #29,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 846 people with the surname Owolabi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Owolabi.
Has Owolabi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Owolabi went from 432 recorded bearers to 846. That is an increase of 414 (+95.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #48,800 to #29,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Owolabi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Owolabi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Owolabi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Owolabi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Owolabi (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 Owolabi mean?
A Yoruba surname meaning "wealth has arrived" or "brings wealth." 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 Owolabi (0.28 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 Owolabi?
See how many people are called Owolabi on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.