Explore the Family Name Okoye

The meaning of Okoye

West African (Nigeria): from an Igbo personal name, a variant of Okorie.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Okoye in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Okoye has significantly grown in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, Okoye held the rank of 33,690 but by 2010 had risen to 22,924 - an impressive climb of approximately 31.96%. The count of individuals bearing this surname also saw substantial growth, increasing from 638 to 1,116, reflecting a 74.92% rise. This surge is further evident in the proportion per 100k which jumped by 58.33%, from 0.24 to 0.38.

20002010Change
Rank#33,690#22,92431.96%
Count6381,11674.92%
Proportion per 100k0.240.3858.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Okoye

When examining the ethnic identity linked to the surname Okoye, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of Okoyes identify as Black, with a slight increase in this population from 92.95% in 2000 to 95.07% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White or Hispanic decreased during this period, with White representation falling by 46.24% and Hispanic representation dropping by 13.83%. Those identifying with two or more ethnicities also showed a decrease of 29.18%. There were no Okoyes who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Black92.95%95.07%2.28%
Two or More Races3.29%2.33%-29.18%
White2.66%1.43%-46.24%
Hispanic0.94%0.81%-13.83%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%