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

Oza, 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 Oza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oza in America

Oza is the 29403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oza surname appeared 804 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 Oza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Oza

The surname OZA has its origins in India, where it can be traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Osha," which means "herb" or "plant." The name is believed to have been originally used by Hindu families involved in the cultivation and trade of medicinal herbs and spices.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name OZA can be found in the archives of the Maratha Empire, which ruled a large part of the Indian subcontinent from the 17th to the 19th century. The records mention an individual named Govind Oza, who served as a chief advisor to the Maratha ruler Shivaji in the late 17th century.

The name OZA was also prevalent in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where many families with this surname were engaged in the production and trading of spices and textiles. The city of Surat, a major trading hub during the Mughal era, had a significant population of OZA families.

In the 18th century, the name OZA appeared in the records of the East India Company, which had established trading posts in various parts of India. One notable figure was Rambhai Oza, a wealthy merchant from Surat who supplied spices and textiles to the British East India Company in the late 1700s.

During the British colonial period, several individuals with the surname OZA made significant contributions in various fields. Keshavlal Oza (1848-1921) was a prominent educationist and social reformer who established several schools and colleges in Gujarat. Manubhai Oza (1897-1971) was a renowned lawyer and a leader of the Indian independence movement, who actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.

In the field of literature, Jayant Oza (1929-2007) was a renowned Gujarati poet and playwright, known for his contribution to the Akhil Bharatiya Gujarati Sahitya Parishad (All India Gujarati Literary Council). Suresh Oza (born 1944) is a prominent Indian artist and sculptor, known for his works in bronze and stone.

While the name OZA is most prevalent in the western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, it has also spread to other parts of the country and around the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oza

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

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 Oza 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Oza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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