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.
| Surname | Bearers | Origins | Meaning |
| Ortiz | 286,899 | Hispanic | Unclear |
| Owens | 182,719 | Welsh | Noble |
| Olson | 164,035 | Swedish | Descendant of Olaf |
| Ortega | 127,256 | Hispanic | Nettle |
| O’Brien | 118,557 | Irish | Descendant of Brian Boru |
| Oliver | 115,900 | Across Europe | Unclear |
| Ochoa | 78,677 | Basque | Wolf |
| O’Connor | 77,923 | Irish | Kings of Connacht |
| Osborne | 66,827 | English | Bear |
| Orozco | 65,904 | Basque | From 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
Here is an assorted collection of seven famous people with a family name starting with O.
| Famous Person | Occupation | Best Known For |
| George Orwell | English writer | 1984, Animal Farm |
| Roy Orbison | American singer | Pretty Woman |
| Barack Obama | American President | First black president of the U.S. |
| Edna O’Brien | Irish writer | The Country Girls |
| Ozzy Osbourne | English singer | Black Sabbath |
| Ben Okri | Nigerian writer | The Famished Road |
| Daniel O’Connell | Irish leader | Catholic 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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Oakes | 17,008 | 17,499 |
| Oakland | 1,217 | 1,200 |
| Oakley | 16,733 | 17,238 |
| Oakman | 1,051 | 1,130 |
| Oaks | 6,982 | 7,182 |
| Oates | 11,346 | 12,202 |
| Oatman | 1,832 | 2,102 |
| Obando | 2,400 | 3,404 |
| Obanion | 1,922 | 1,912 |
| Obannon | 2,609 | 2,675 |
| Ober | 3,675 | 3,724 |
| Oberg | 5,457 | 5,537 |
| Oberholtzer | 2,036 | 2,289 |
| Oberlander | 2,008 | 2,194 |
| Oberle | 2,246 | 2,371 |
| Oberlin | 1,721 | 1,746 |
| Oberman | 1,320 | 1,177 |
| Obermeyer | 1,526 | 1,539 |
| Oberry | 1,687 | 1,829 |
| Oberst | 1,250 | 1,298 |
| Obert | 2,214 | 2,153 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| O’Boyle | 3,263 | 3,281 |
| Obregon | 4,457 | 6,172 |
| O’Brian | 3,326 | 3,203 |
| O’Briant | 1,229 | 1,288 |
| O’Brien | 115,385 | 118,557 |
| O’Bryan | 6,192 | 6,408 |
| O’Bryant | 3,770 | 4,001 |
| O’Byrne | 1,193 | 1,198 |
| O’Callaghan | 2,779 | 3,014 |
| Ocampo | 17,334 | 25,720 |
| Ocana | 1,508 | 2,064 |
| Ocasio | 7,685 | 9,293 |
| Occhipinti | 1,285 | 1,290 |
| Ocegueda | 1,140 | 1,900 |
| Oceguera | 4,078 | 3,599 |
| Ochoa | 57,210 | 78,677 |
| Ochs | 5,827 | 5,901 |
| Ochsner | 1,717 | 1,803 |
| Ocker | 1,131 | 1,193 |
| Ocon | 1,893 | 2,337 |
| O’Connell | 35,610 | 36,194 |
| O’Conner | 4,168 | 3,611 |
| O’Connor | 74,756 | 77,923 |
| Oda | 1,747 | 1,765 |
| O’Daniel | 2,679 | 2,767 |
| Oday | 3,713 | 3,688 |
| Oddo | 2,615 | 2,663 |
| O’Dea | 2,927 | 2,968 |
| Odegaard | 1,272 | 1,331 |
| Odegard | 1,618 | 1,597 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Odell | 30,951 | 31,349 |
| Oden | 7,786 | 8,240 |
| Odle | 3,895 | 3,984 |
| Odom | 33,717 | 35,020 |
| Odoms | 1,252 | 1,259 |
| O’Donnell | 42,802 | 43,460 |
| O’Donoghue | 1,767 | 2,111 |
| O’Donovan | 1,180 | 1,345 |
| O’Dowd | 1,807 | 1,887 |
| O’Driscoll | 1,370 | 1,543 |
| Odum | 4,128 | 4,381 |
| O’Dwyer | 1,331 | 1,427 |
| Oehler | 2,033 | 2,095 |
| Oestreich | 2,241 | 2,212 |
| O’Farrell | 2,019 | 2,127 |
| Officer | 1,301 | 1,357 |
| Offord | 1,121 | 1,174 |
| Offutt | 2,791 | 2,896 |
| O’Flaherty | 1,181 | 1,301 |
| Ogan | 1,448 | 1,376 |
| O’Gara | 1,866 | 1,849 |
| Ogata | 1,424 | 1,402 |
| Ogawa | 2,004 | 1,887 |
| Ogburn | 3,054 | 3,182 |
| Ogden | 18,461 | 18,860 |
| Ogg | 2,713 | 2,572 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Ogilvie | 3,376 | 3,418 |
| Ogle | 14,050 | 14,354 |
| Ogles | 1,124 | 1,135 |
| Oglesbee | 1,066 | 1,096 |
| Oglesby | 12,117 | 12,271 |
| Ogletree | 4,429 | 4,519 |
| O’Gorman | 2,390 | 2,397 |
| O’Grady | 7,024 | 7,306 |
| Ogren | 2,148 | 2,190 |
| Oh | 13,366 | 18,285 |
| O’Hagan | 1,839 | 1,998 |
| O’Hair | 1,024 | 1,088 |
| O’Halloran | 3,128 | 3,289 |
| O’Hanian | 1,013 | 1,210 |
| O’Hanlon | 1,945 | 2,063 |
| O’Hara | 21,068 | 21,710 |
| O’Hare | 5,065 | 5,128 |
| Ohearn | 2,664 | 2,728 |
| Ohern | 1,341 | 1,339 |
| Ohl | 2,058 | 2,016 |
| Ohler | 2,326 | 2,420 |
| Ohlson | 1,594 | 1,603 |
| Ohm | 1,760 | 1,894 |
| Ohman | 1,876 | 1,913 |
| Oja | 1,056 | 1,050 |
| Ojeda | 15,780 | 22,045 |
| Okada | 1,958 | 1,987 |
| Okafor | 1,150 | 1,939 |
| Okamoto | 2,434 | 2,373 |
| Okamura | 1,304 | 1,254 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| O’Kane | 2,401 | 2,621 |
| O’Keefe | 16,829 | 17,414 |
| O’Keeffe | 1,843 | 2,043 |
| O’Kelley | 2,518 | 2,524 |
| O’Kelly | 1,480 | 1,508 |
| Okun | 1,002 | 1,028 |
| Olague | 2,238 | 2,827 |
| Olah | 1,676 | 1,773 |
| Olalde | 1,110 | 1,927 |
| Olander | 2,240 | 2,462 |
| O’Laughlin | 1,612 | 1,622 |
| Olcott | 1,152 | 1,184 |
| Old | 1,037 | 1,035 |
| Oldaker | 1,477 | 1,428 |
| Olden | 1,808 | 2,014 |
| Oldenburg | 2,915 | 2,944 |
| Oldfield | 2,856 | 2,816 |
| Oldham | 12,753 | 12,928 |
| Olds | 7,533 | 7,670 |
| Olea | 2,963 | 4,447 |
| O’Leary | 21,904 | 22,329 |
| Olejniczak | 1,195 | 1,251 |
| Olenick | 1,037 | 1,046 |
| Oler | 1,165 | 1,161 |
| Oles | 1,472 | 1,552 |
| Olesen | 1,920 | 1,988 |
| Oleson | 3,807 | 3,734 |
| Olguin | 7,835 | 10,660 |
| Olin | 4,262 | 4,163 |
| Olinger | 5,572 | 5,732 |
| Oliphant | 5,448 | 5,808 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Oliva | 14,892 | 19,513 |
| Olivares | 16,857 | 23,982 |
| Olivarez | 8,378 | 9,720 |
| Olivas | 16,164 | 20,106 |
| Olive | 5,622 | 5,712 |
| Oliveira | 14,341 | 19,055 |
| Oliver | 111,641 | 115,900 |
| Olivera | 6,412 | 9,108 |
| Oliveras | 1,923 | 2,591 |
| Oliveri | 3,063 | 3,357 |
| Oliverio | 1,595 | 1,671 |
| Olivero | 1,482 | 1,842 |
| Oliveros | 2,981 | 4,624 |
| Olivier | 5,703 | 6,400 |
| Olivieri | 2,907 | 3,289 |
| Olivo | 8,262 | 10,483 |
| Oller | 2,812 | 2,800 |
| Ollie | 1,196 | 1,209 |
| Ollis | 1,997 | 2,016 |
| Olmeda | 1,855 | 2,298 |
| Olmedo | 3,816 | 5,768 |
| Olmo | 1,550 | 1,879 |
| Olmos | 6,985 | 9,895 |
| Olmstead | 7,859 | 8,021 |
| Olmsted | 3,255 | 3,197 |
| Olney | 3,205 | 3,248 |
| O’Loughlin | 3,141 | 3,162 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Olsen | 57,357 | 59,356 |
| Olson | 163,502 | 164,035 |
| Olsson | 2,476 | 2,615 |
| Olszewski | 5,628 | 5,554 |
| Oltman | 1,461 | 1,389 |
| Olvera | 18,512 | 27,551 |
| O’Malley | 17,027 | 17,588 |
| Oman | 3,162 | 3,198 |
| Omar | 4,173 | 7,660 |
| O’Mara | 4,527 | 4,792 |
| O’Meara | 4,667 | 4,801 |
| Omer | 1,395 | 2,063 |
| On | 1,079 | 1,309 |
| Onate | 1,227 | 1,838 |
| O’Neal | 46,161 | 47,979 |
| O’Neil | 28,020 | 28,949 |
| O’Neill | 48,656 | 50,028 |
| Oney | 3,399 | 3,528 |
| Ong | 7,572 | 9,584 |
| Onken | 1,235 | 1,221 |
| Ono | 2,218 | 2,143 |
| Onofre | 1,907 | 3,099 |
| Onorato | 1,827 | 1,913 |
| Onstott | 1,107 | 1,113 |
| Ontiveros | 12,317 | 16,382 |
| Opitz | 1,533 | 1,557 |
| Opp | 1,712 | 1,659 |
| Oppenheim | 1,860 | 1,795 |
| Oppenheimer | 2,197 | 2,182 |
| Opperman | 2,587 | 2,631 |
| Oquendo | 4,292 | 5,455 |
| O’Quinn | 5,205 | 5,439 |
| Oram | 1,740 | 1,815 |
| Orange | 4,027 | 4,350 |
| Orantes | 1,535 | 2,507 |
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.
| Last Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Orban | 1,621 | 1,485 |
| Orchard | 2,241 | 2,340 |
| Orcutt | 4,857 | 4,831 |
| Ordaz | 5,211 | 7,753 |
| Ordonez | 11,366 | 18,498 |
| Orduna | 1,540 | 2,435 |
| Orduno | 1,741 | 2,347 |
| Ordway | 2,715 | 2,741 |
| Ore | 1,783 | 1,862 |
| Orear | 2,211 | 2,188 |
| O’Reilly | 11,224 | 12,074 |
| Orellana | 14,943 | 26,651 |
| Orem | 1,089 | 1,079 |
| Oren | 1,652 | 1,766 |
| Orenstein | 1,291 | 1,370 |
| Orf | 1,176 | 1,249 |
| Organ | 2,125 | 2,431 |
| Orgeron | 1,352 | 1,388 |
| Orlandi | 1,002 | 1,072 |
| Orlando | 12,353 | 12,586 |
| Orloff | 1,282 | 1,259 |
| Orlowski | 3,307 | 3,208 |
| Orman | 3,072 | 3,139 |
| Orme | 2,414 | 2,489 |
| Ormiston | 1,013 | 1,015 |
| Ormond | 2,234 | 2,346 |
| Ormsby | 3,492 | 3,643 |
| Orndorff | 3,176 | 3,145 |
| Ornelas | 17,278 | 22,969 |
| Orner | 1,609 | 1,664 |
| Orona | 5,032 | 6,145 |
| Oropeza | 5,015 | 7,082 |
| Oros | 2,042 | 2,512 |
| Orosco | 7,802 | 8,313 |
| Orosz | 1,583 | 1,502 |
| O’Rourke | 16,263 | 16,457 |
| Orozco | 45,289 | 65,904 |
| Orr | 43,666 | 44,388 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Orrell | 1,659 | 1,779 |
| Orrick | 1,263 | 1,353 |
| Orris | 1,878 | 1,909 |
| Orsi | 1,053 | 1,100 |
| Orsini | 2,953 | 3,055 |
| Orso | 1,099 | 1,142 |
| Ort | 1,875 | 1,946 |
| Orta | 5,808 | 7,820 |
| Ortega | 93,131 | 127,256 |
| Ortego | 2,476 | 2,679 |
| Ortegon | 1,786 | 2,166 |
| Ortez | 2,960 | 3,762 |
| Orth | 6,284 | 6,345 |
| Ortis | 1,732 | 1,584 |
| Ortiz | 214,683 | 286,899 |
| Ortman | 2,547 | 2,475 |
| Ortner | 1,238 | 1,335 |
| Orton | 6,246 | 6,720 |
| Ortuno | 1,170 | 2,058 |
| Orvis | 1,907 | 1,762 |
| Orwig | 1,524 | 1,585 |
| Orzechowski | 1,547 | 1,594 |
| Osborn | 32,044 | 32,439 |
| Osborne | 65,802 | 66,827 |
| Osbourn | 1,044 | 1,140 |
| Osbourne | 1,860 | 2,563 |
| Osburn | 7,673 | 7,549 |
| Osby | 1,509 | 1,573 |
| Oscar | 1,417 | 1,781 |
| Osegueda | 1,013 | 1,382 |
| Oseguera | 1,777 | 4,470 |
| Oser | 1,155 | 1,134 |
| Osgood | 5,999 | 6,186 |
| O’Shaughnessy | 3,045 | 3,246 |
| O’Shea | 10,066 | 10,531 |
| O’Shields | 1,535 | 1,498 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Oshiro | 3,202 | 3,177 |
| Osinski | 1,209 | 1,159 |
| Osman | 6,017 | 9,908 |
| Osmond | 1,262 | 1,367 |
| Osorio | 18,037 | 29,482 |
| Osornio | 1,319 | 2,169 |
| Osowski | 1,533 | 1,533 |
| Ospina | 2,915 | 3,774 |
| Ost | 1,230 | 1,181 |
| Osteen | 5,341 | 5,497 |
| Ostendorf | 1,719 | 1,772 |
| Oster | 5,771 | 6,259 |
| Osterberg | 1,523 | 1,527 |
| Osterhout | 2,195 | 2,288 |
| Osterman | 3,278 | 3,256 |
| Ostler | 1,809 | 2,128 |
| Ostlund | 1,425 | 1,418 |
| Ostrander | 9,274 | 9,518 |
| Ostrom | 3,441 | 3,485 |
| Ostrow | 1,211 | |
| Ostrowski | 6,980 | 7,005 |
| O’Sullivan | 10,879 | 11,818 |
| Osuna | 5,793 | 7,601 |
| Oswald | 14,332 | 14,322 |
| Oswalt | 5,114 | 5,198 |
| Ota | 2,040 | 1,984 |
| Otero | 16,956 | 20,937 |
| Otey | 2,208 | 2,234 |
| Otis | 7,579 | 7,549 |
| O’Toole | 10,663 | 10,842 |
| Ott | 25,492 | 25,738 |
| Otte | 4,259 | 4,387 |
| Otten | 4,117 | 4,396 |
| Otter | 1,238 | 1,331 |
| Otterson | 1,296 | 1,226 |
| Ottinger | 3,066 | 3,112 |
| Ottley | 1,213 | 1,440 |
| Ottman | 1,541 | 1,549 |
| Otto | 22,001 | 22,558 |
| Otts | 1,362 | 1,268 |
| Otwell | 1,596 | 1,661 |
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 Name | 2000 Census | 2010 Census |
| Ou | 2,422 | 4,196 |
| Oubre | 1,904 | 2,019 |
| Ouellette | 13,498 | 13,984 |
| Ouimet | 1,201 | 1,218 |
| Ouk | 1,041 | 1,424 |
| Ours | 1,533 | 1,585 |
| Ousley | 4,411 | 4,751 |
| Outen | 1,195 | 1,327 |
| Outland | 1,727 | 1,877 |
| Outlaw | 8,365 | 8,901 |
| Outten | 1,218 | 1,401 |
| Ouyang | 1,061 | 1,968 |
| Ouzts | 1,370 | 1,374 |
| Ovalle | 5,466 | 7,698 |
| Ovalles | 1,062 | 1,561 |
| Over | 1,083 | 1,044 |
| Overall | 1,657 | 1,644 |
| Overbay | 1,578 | 1,613 |
| Overbeck | 1,820 | 1,656 |
| Overbey | 2,543 | 2,688 |
| Overby | 6,354 | 6,311 |
| Overcash | 2,746 | 2,641 |
| Overfield | 1,395 | 1,370 |
| Overholser | 1,143 | 1,184 |
| Overholt | 2,770 | 2,894 |
| Overland | 1,116 | 1,105 |
| Overly | 2,199 | 2,201 |
| Overman | 5,256 | 5,396 |
| Overmyer | 2,062 | 2,106 |
| Overstreet | 12,121 | 12,342 |
| Overton | 18,094 | 18,820 |
| Overturf | 2,221 | 2,208 |
| Oviatt | 1,297 | 1,293 |
| Oviedo | 5,540 | 8,145 |
| Owen | 60,461 | 61,630 |
| Owenby | 2,242 | 2,241 |
| Owens | 176,334 | 182,719 |
| Owensby | 2,452 | 2,420 |
| Owings | 4,328 | 4,381 |
| Ownbey | 1,138 | 1,195 |
| Ownby | 2,032 | 2,026 |
| Owsley | 2,917 | 2,932 |
| Owusu | 1,433 | 2,938 |
| Oxendine | 6,587 | 7,139 |
| Oxford | 4,560 | 4,509 |
| Oxley | 4,282 | 4,315 |
| Oyer | 1,335 | 2,313 |
| Oyler | 3,386 | 3,493 |
| Oyola | 1,611 | 2,051 |
| Ozment | 1,446 | 1,398 |
| Ozuna | 5,162 | 6,327 |
