Explore the Family Name Owolabi

The meaning of Owolabi

West African (Nigeria): from the Yoruba personal name Owólabí, from owó ni a bí ‘it is money we gave birth to’, given as a circumstance name after an expensive gestation period or in anticipation of further expense.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Owolabi grew in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Owolabi was ranked 87,729th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had climbed to the 48,800th spot, marking an increase of 44.37%. The number of individuals bearing the Owolabi name also increased during this period, from 197 in 2000 to 432 in 2010, which represents a significant growth of 119.29%. This change resulted in the proportion of people with the Owolabi surname per 100,000 population doubling from 0.07 to 0.15.

20002010Change
Rank#87,729#48,80044.37%
Count197432119.29%
Proportion per 100k0.070.15114.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Owolabi

In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with the Owolabi surname identify as Black. In 2000, 91.88% of those with the Owolabi surname identified as Black, and this percentage increased to 95.14% in 2010. During the same period, the percentage of individuals identifying as Two or More Races decreased from 4.06% to 1.62%, representing a decrease of 60.10%. Similarly, the proportion of individuals identifying as Hispanic also decreased from 2.54% in 2000 to 1.85% in 2010, a drop of 27.17%. There were no individuals with the Owolabi surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, White, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Black91.88%95.14%3.55%
Hispanic2.54%1.85%-27.17%
Two or More Races4.06%1.62%-60.1%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
White0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%