NameCensus.

UK surname

Ogunsanya

A Yoruba surname meaning "warrior who turns difficulties into success".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenwich, Westminster and Thurrock.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ogunsanya is 192 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

178

2016, ranked #21,160

Peak year

2014

192 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016, ranked #21,160.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Ogunsanya surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ogunsanya surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ogunsanya surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ogunsanya over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1997 modern 60 #31,629
1998 modern 65 #31,477
1999 modern 67 #31,409
2000 modern 67 #31,473
2001 modern 68 #31,195
2002 modern 95 #28,666
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 128 #24,117
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 186 #19,337
2008 modern 189 #19,315
2009 modern 164 #21,628
2010 modern 176 #21,101
2011 modern 163 #21,983
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 184 #20,643
2014 modern 192 #20,230
2015 modern 181 #20,934
2016 modern 178 #21,160

Geography

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Where Ogunsanyas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenwich, Westminster, Thurrock and Barnet. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenwich 034 Greenwich
2 Westminster 016 Westminster
3 Thurrock 010 Thurrock
4 Thurrock 017 Thurrock
5 Barnet 014 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ogunsanya

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ogunsanya surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ogunsanya

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ogunsanya, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Ogunsanya surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Ogunsanya household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Ogunsanya is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ogunsanya is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ogunsanya falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ogunsanya is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Black - African

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ogunsanya, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ogunsanya

The surname Ogunsanya has its origins in the Yoruba language of southwestern Nigeria, West Africa. It is a compound name derived from the words "Ogun" meaning "war" or "warrior", and "sanyan" meaning "to walk with energy or vigor".

The name likely emerged during the various Yoruba wars and conflicts of the 16th-18th centuries, denoting a warrior or soldier who fought with great energy and determination. The earliest known written records of the Ogunsanya name appear in historical accounts and oral traditions from this period of Yoruba history.

One of the first documented references to the Ogunsanya name can be found in the chronicles of the Oyo Empire, a powerful Yoruba kingdom that ruled over much of what is now southwestern Nigeria from the 16th to the 19th century. These accounts mention several Ogunsanya warriors who served in the Oyo military forces and participated in various battles and campaigns.

In the late 18th century, an Ogunsanya leader named Adeyemi Ogunsanya played a significant role in the establishment of the Ibadan city-state, one of the largest and most influential Yoruba settlements of the time. Adeyemi Ogunsanya was born around 1750 and is remembered as a skilled military strategist and diplomat who helped forge alliances between various Yoruba communities.

Another notable figure bearing the Ogunsanya name was Adesoji Ogunsanya, a respected Yoruba chief and landowner who lived in the mid-19th century. He was involved in the resolution of several inter-community disputes and is credited with helping to maintain peace and stability in the region during a period of political upheaval.

In more recent times, the Ogunsanya name has been carried by several prominent Nigerians, including Akinola Ogunsanya, a respected educator and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan from 1977 to 1983. Another notable Ogunsanya was Adebayo Ogunsanya, a successful businessman and industrialist who founded the Ogunsanya Group of Companies, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Nigeria.

While the Ogunsanya name has its deepest roots in the Yoruba culture of southwestern Nigeria, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families of Yoruba descent who have migrated to different regions and continents over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Ogunsanya surname: questions and answers

How common is the Ogunsanya surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 178 in 2016. That gives Ogunsanya a modern rank of #21,160.

What does the Ogunsanya surname mean?

A Yoruba surname meaning "warrior who turns difficulties into success".

What does the Ogunsanya map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ogunsanya bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.