Big List Of Last Names Beginning With O

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Are you looking for a comprehensive list of last names beginning with “O”?

We’ve used the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census to compile 367 surnames that start with the letter O and have at least one thousand bearers of the name.

In the table below, you’ll see the total number of bearers for the name in each census.

Can’t Find A Surname That You Know?

If you don’t find a name that you’re interested in, then use our surname ranking tool which doesn’t have the 1,000 threshold that we’ve imposed on this list.

It will show you where your last name ranks in the U.S. census.

You can learn more in our tutorial on how to check how popular or uncommon your last name is.

Meanings Of Popular Last Names Starting With O

Here are the top ten most common last names beginning with N in the 2010 U.S. census.

They are in descending order of how common they are.

SurnameBearersOriginsMeaning
Ortiz286,899HispanicUnclear
Owens182,719WelshNoble
Olson164,035SwedishDescendant of Olaf
Ortega127,256HispanicNettle
O’Brien118,557IrishDescendant of Brian Boru
Oliver115,900Across EuropeUnclear
Ochoa78,677BasqueWolf
O’Connor77,923IrishKings of Connacht
Osborne66,827EnglishBear
Orozco65,904BasqueFrom Orozko (in Spain)

The meanings given above are short summaries. Some names have several meanings depending on the region. We give more details later in this article.

Famous People With O Surnames

“1984” by George Orwell

Here is an assorted collection of seven famous people with a family name starting with O.

Famous PersonOccupationBest Known For
George OrwellEnglish writer1984, Animal Farm
Roy OrbisonAmerican singerPretty Woman
Barack ObamaAmerican PresidentFirst black president of the U.S.
Edna O’BrienIrish writerThe Country Girls
Ozzy OsbourneEnglish singerBlack Sabbath
Ben OkriNigerian writerThe Famished Road
Daniel O’ConnellIrish leaderCatholic emancipation

Last Names Starting With O

Let’s start with the names from Oakes to Obert and take a look at some origins and meanings.

The first name on this list is actually the most common in this section of the 2010 U.S. census. It shades out Oakley by a few hundred bearers.

Oakes is a variant of Oak. The name is of English origins. The early bearers likely lived near a prominent oak tree.

Oakley is also of English origins and is somewhat related. The meaning comes from combining the Old English words for an oak tree (oak) and a clearing or open space (leah).

There are plenty of places in England with this name. People from those places would take the placename.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Oakes17,00817,499
Oakland1,2171,200
Oakley16,73317,238
Oakman1,0511,130
Oaks6,9827,182
Oates11,34612,202
Oatman1,8322,102
Obando2,4003,404
Obanion1,9221,912
Obannon2,6092,675
Ober3,6753,724
Oberg5,4575,537
Oberholtzer2,0362,289
Oberlander2,0082,194
Oberle2,2462,371
Oberlin1,7211,746
Oberman1,3201,177
Obermeyer1,5261,539
Oberry1,6871,829
Oberst1,2501,298
Obert2,2142,153

From O’Boyle to Odegard

Now we get into a section that includes Irish names. Some of these are very numerous in the United States.

The most common name in this section is actually my own: O’Brien. It had over 118 thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name means “son of Brian”, i.e. son of one of the great kings of Ireland. If you want to learn more about him, check out this article about Brian Boru.

Many Irish family names descend from Brian, and I see five near the beginning of this list (O’Byrne is the exception).

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
O’Boyle3,2633,281
Obregon4,4576,172
O’Brian3,3263,203
O’Briant1,2291,288
O’Brien115,385118,557
O’Bryan6,1926,408
O’Bryant3,7704,001
O’Byrne1,1931,198
O’Callaghan2,7793,014
Ocampo17,33425,720
Ocana1,5082,064
Ocasio7,6859,293
Occhipinti1,2851,290
Ocegueda1,1401,900
Oceguera4,0783,599
Ochoa57,21078,677
Ochs5,8275,901
Ochsner1,7171,803
Ocker1,1311,193
Ocon1,8932,337
O’Connell35,61036,194
O’Conner4,1683,611
O’Connor74,75677,923
Oda1,7471,765
O’Daniel2,6792,767
Oday3,7133,688
Oddo2,6152,663
O’Dea2,9272,968
Odegaard1,2721,331
Odegard1,6181,597

From Odell to Ogg

The most common name in this section is O’Donnell, which has Irish origins. We will cover Irish names in more depth in a separate article.

Here, I’ll look at the next highest in this section.

Odom is of English origins with an interesting meaning. It comes from the Old English word for the husband of a sister or daughter (athum).

Early bearers had likely married into a more prominent family and took this “in-law” name.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Odell30,95131,349
Oden7,7868,240
Odle3,8953,984
Odom33,71735,020
Odoms1,2521,259
O’Donnell42,80243,460
O’Donoghue1,7672,111
O’Donovan1,1801,345
O’Dowd1,8071,887
O’Driscoll1,3701,543
Odum4,1284,381
O’Dwyer1,3311,427
Oehler2,0332,095
Oestreich2,2412,212
O’Farrell2,0192,127
Officer1,3011,357
Offord1,1211,174
Offutt2,7912,896
O’Flaherty1,1811,301
Ogan1,4481,376
O’Gara1,8661,849
Ogata1,4241,402
Ogawa2,0041,887
Ogburn3,0543,182
Ogden18,46118,860
Ogg2,7132,572

From Ogilvie to Okamura

Oh is one of the few two-letter names in this entire list. It had over eighteen thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name is of Korean origins and is a variant of the even shorter Chinese name of “O”.

The name dates back to the era of Jijeung (437-514) who ruled over the Korean kingdom of Silla.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Ogilvie3,3763,418
Ogle14,05014,354
Ogles1,1241,135
Oglesbee1,0661,096
Oglesby12,11712,271
Ogletree4,4294,519
O’Gorman2,3902,397
O’Grady7,0247,306
Ogren2,1482,190
Oh13,36618,285
O’Hagan1,8391,998
O’Hair1,0241,088
O’Halloran3,1283,289
O’Hanian1,0131,210
O’Hanlon1,9452,063
O’Hara21,06821,710
O’Hare5,0655,128
Ohearn2,6642,728
Ohern1,3411,339
Ohl2,0582,016
Ohler2,3262,420
Ohlson1,5941,603
Ohm1,7601,894
Ohman1,8761,913
Oja1,0561,050
Ojeda15,78022,045
Okada1,9581,987
Okafor1,1501,939
Okamoto2,4342,373
Okamura1,3041,254

From O’Kane to Oliphant

O’Leary is the most common name in this section with over twenty-two thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name is of Irish origins. One of the most famous and maligned of this clan was actually a cow owned by a Mrs O’Leary.

For decades, this cow was blamed for kicking over a kerosene lamp in a barn and starting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The cow and her owner were cleared and exonerated in 1997.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
O’Kane2,4012,621
O’Keefe16,82917,414
O’Keeffe1,8432,043
O’Kelley2,5182,524
O’Kelly1,4801,508
Okun1,0021,028
Olague2,2382,827
Olah1,6761,773
Olalde1,1101,927
Olander2,2402,462
O’Laughlin1,6121,622
Olcott1,1521,184
Old1,0371,035
Oldaker1,4771,428
Olden1,8082,014
Oldenburg2,9152,944
Oldfield2,8562,816
Oldham12,75312,928
Olds7,5337,670
Olea2,9634,447
O’Leary21,90422,329
Olejniczak1,1951,251
Olenick1,0371,046
Oler1,1651,161
Oles1,4721,552
Olesen1,9201,988
Oleson3,8073,734
Olguin7,83510,660
Olin4,2624,163
Olinger5,5725,732
Oliphant5,4485,808

From Oliva to O’Loughlin

Oliver is the most common name in this section with over 115 thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

And if you run your eye down the list, you’ll see it has plenty of variants from different regions. Forms of the name are found across Europe.

The earliest origins of the personal name of Oliver are unclear. It may relate to an olive tree.

However, we know that the name spread through Europe due to the influence of an 11th-century epic poem, the Song of Roland (Chanson de Roland)

The poem tells the tale of two knights of Charlemagne, the eponymous Roland, and his wiser friend Oliver. It was hugely popular for centuries.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Oliva14,89219,513
Olivares16,85723,982
Olivarez8,3789,720
Olivas16,16420,106
Olive5,6225,712
Oliveira14,34119,055
Oliver111,641115,900
Olivera6,4129,108
Oliveras1,9232,591
Oliveri3,0633,357
Oliverio1,5951,671
Olivero1,4821,842
Oliveros2,9814,624
Olivier5,7036,400
Olivieri2,9073,289
Olivo8,26210,483
Oller2,8122,800
Ollie1,1961,209
Ollis1,9972,016
Olmeda1,8552,298
Olmedo3,8165,768
Olmo1,5501,879
Olmos6,9859,895
Olmstead7,8598,021
Olmsted3,2553,197
Olney3,2053,248
O’Loughlin3,1413,162

From Olsen to Orantes

Olson is the most common name in this section with over 164 thousand bearers. You’ll see that it has several other variants.

This name is of Swedish origins. It is a shortened form of Olafsen, which means the son of Olaf.

Olaf is a very common Scandinavian name. The meaning comes from the words for ancestor and descendant.

The name spread in the Middle Ages due to the popularity of King Olaf II of Norway who was later made a Saint. He is a very important figure in Norwegian history.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Olsen57,35759,356
Olson163,502164,035
Olsson2,4762,615
Olszewski5,6285,554
Oltman1,4611,389
Olvera18,51227,551
O’Malley17,02717,588
Oman3,1623,198
Omar4,1737,660
O’Mara4,5274,792
O’Meara4,6674,801
Omer1,3952,063
On1,0791,309
Onate1,2271,838
O’Neal46,16147,979
O’Neil28,02028,949
O’Neill48,65650,028
Oney3,3993,528
Ong7,5729,584
Onken1,2351,221
Ono2,2182,143
Onofre1,9073,099
Onorato1,8271,913
Onstott1,1071,113
Ontiveros12,31716,382
Opitz1,5331,557
Opp1,7121,659
Oppenheim1,8601,795
Oppenheimer2,1972,182
Opperman2,5872,631
Oquendo4,2925,455
O’Quinn5,2055,439
Oram1,7401,815
Orange4,0274,350
Orantes1,5352,507

From Orban to Orr

Orr is the most common name in this section with over forty-four thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

There aren’t many English three-letter names that appear with these numbers in the census.

The meaning comes from the Old Norse for a distinctive game bird known as a black grouse. The numbers have dwindled in England due to a loss of habitat, but they can still be spotted in Wales and Scotland.

The early bearers of the name likely lived near moors and wetlands where black grouse were common.

Black grouse
Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Orban1,6211,485
Orchard2,2412,340
Orcutt4,8574,831
Ordaz5,2117,753
Ordonez11,36618,498
Orduna1,5402,435
Orduno1,7412,347
Ordway2,7152,741
Ore1,7831,862
Orear2,2112,188
O’Reilly11,22412,074
Orellana14,94326,651
Orem1,0891,079
Oren1,6521,766
Orenstein1,2911,370
Orf1,1761,249
Organ2,1252,431
Orgeron1,3521,388
Orlandi1,0021,072
Orlando12,35312,586
Orloff1,2821,259
Orlowski3,3073,208
Orman3,0723,139
Orme2,4142,489
Ormiston1,0131,015
Ormond2,2342,346
Ormsby3,4923,643
Orndorff3,1763,145
Ornelas17,27822,969
Orner1,6091,664
Orona5,0326,145
Oropeza5,0157,082
Oros2,0422,512
Orosco7,8028,313
Orosz1,5831,502
O’Rourke16,26316,457
Orozco45,28965,904
Orr43,66644,388

From Orrell to O’Shields

The most common names in this section are Hispanic. We have covered them in more depth in our separate list of Hispanic surnames starting with O.

Here, I’ll look at Osborne and its several variants.

This name is of English origins. Part of the meaning comes from the Old Norse word for a bear (bjorn).

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Orrell1,6591,779
Orrick1,2631,353
Orris1,8781,909
Orsi1,0531,100
Orsini2,9533,055
Orso1,0991,142
Ort1,8751,946
Orta5,8087,820
Ortega93,131127,256
Ortego2,4762,679
Ortegon1,7862,166
Ortez2,9603,762
Orth6,2846,345
Ortis1,7321,584
Ortiz214,683286,899
Ortman2,5472,475
Ortner1,2381,335
Orton6,2466,720
Ortuno1,1702,058
Orvis1,9071,762
Orwig1,5241,585
Orzechowski1,5471,594
Osborn32,04432,439
Osborne65,80266,827
Osbourn1,0441,140
Osbourne1,8602,563
Osburn7,6737,549
Osby1,5091,573
Oscar1,4171,781
Osegueda1,0131,382
Oseguera1,7774,470
Oser1,1551,134
Osgood5,9996,186
O’Shaughnessy3,0453,246
O’Shea10,06610,531
O’Shields1,5351,498

From Oshiro to Otwell

I’ve already covered Orr as a three-letter name.

In this section, Ott has over twenty-five thousand bearers in the 2010 census.

The name has Germanic origins. The meaning comes from the word for a wealthy person.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Oshiro3,2023,177
Osinski1,2091,159
Osman6,0179,908
Osmond1,2621,367
Osorio18,03729,482
Osornio1,3192,169
Osowski1,5331,533
Ospina2,9153,774
Ost1,2301,181
Osteen5,3415,497
Ostendorf1,7191,772
Oster5,7716,259
Osterberg1,5231,527
Osterhout2,1952,288
Osterman3,2783,256
Ostler1,8092,128
Ostlund1,4251,418
Ostrander9,2749,518
Ostrom3,4413,485
Ostrow1,211
Ostrowski6,9807,005
O’Sullivan10,87911,818
Osuna5,7937,601
Oswald14,33214,322
Oswalt5,1145,198
Ota2,0401,984
Otero16,95620,937
Otey2,2082,234
Otis7,5797,549
O’Toole10,66310,842
Ott25,49225,738
Otte4,2594,387
Otten4,1174,396
Otter1,2381,331
Otterson1,2961,226
Ottinger3,0663,112
Ottley1,2131,440
Ottman1,5411,549
Otto22,00122,558
Otts1,3621,268
Otwell1,5961,661

From Ou to Ozuna

Owens is the most common name in this section with over 182 thousand bearers in 2010. There are also several variants in the list.

The name has differing Celtic origins.

The Irish name is an Anglicization of McEwen (Mac Eoghain).

The Welsh name means “son of Owain”. The meaning of Owain comes from the word for nobility or being noble.

Last Name2000 Census2010 Census
Ou2,4224,196
Oubre1,9042,019
Ouellette13,49813,984
Ouimet1,2011,218
Ouk1,0411,424
Ours1,5331,585
Ousley4,4114,751
Outen1,1951,327
Outland1,7271,877
Outlaw8,3658,901
Outten1,2181,401
Ouyang1,0611,968
Ouzts1,3701,374
Ovalle5,4667,698
Ovalles1,0621,561
Over1,0831,044
Overall1,6571,644
Overbay1,5781,613
Overbeck1,8201,656
Overbey2,5432,688
Overby6,3546,311
Overcash2,7462,641
Overfield1,3951,370
Overholser1,1431,184
Overholt2,7702,894
Overland1,1161,105
Overly2,1992,201
Overman5,2565,396
Overmyer2,0622,106
Overstreet12,12112,342
Overton18,09418,820
Overturf2,2212,208
Oviatt1,2971,293
Oviedo5,5408,145
Owen60,46161,630
Owenby2,2422,241
Owens176,334182,719
Owensby2,4522,420
Owings4,3284,381
Ownbey1,1381,195
Ownby2,0322,026
Owsley2,9172,932
Owusu1,4332,938
Oxendine6,5877,139
Oxford4,5604,509
Oxley4,2824,315
Oyer1,3352,313
Oyler3,3863,493
Oyola1,6112,051
Ozment1,4461,398
Ozuna5,1626,327

Index To Other Letters

ABCDEFG
HIJKLMN
OPQRSTU
VWXYZ

Margaret created a family tree on a genealogy website in 2012. She purchased her first DNA kit in 2017. She created this website to share insights and how-to guides on DNA, genealogy, and family research.

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