UK surname
A Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near a rocky place or hillock.
In the 1881 census there were 146 people recorded with the Oharra surname, ranking it #15,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2, ranked #38,825, down from #15,752 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, Govan Combination and Easingwold. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oharra is 220 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 98.6%.
1881 census count
146
Ranked #15,752
Modern count
2
2016, ranked #38,825
Peak year
1851
220 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Oharra surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Oharra surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 220 | #9,671 |
| 1861 | historical | 182 | #12,949 |
| 1881 | historical | 146 | #15,752 |
| 1891 | historical | 61 | #29,103 |
| 1901 | historical | 20 | #31,803 |
| 1911 | historical | 3 | #33,789 |
| 1997 | modern | 4 | #38,094 |
| 1998 | modern | 6 | #37,703 |
| 1999 | modern | 5 | #37,872 |
| 2000 | modern | 4 | #38,004 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 4 | #37,921 |
| 2003 | modern | 4 | #37,951 |
| 2004 | modern | 4 | #38,013 |
| 2005 | modern | 3 | #38,312 |
| 2006 | modern | 2 | #38,590 |
| 2007 | modern | 2 | #38,617 |
| 2008 | modern | 2 | #38,673 |
| 2009 | modern | 2 | #38,725 |
| 2010 | modern | 2 | #38,775 |
| 2011 | modern | 1 | #39,015 |
| 2014 | modern | 1 | #39,020 |
| 2015 | modern | 2 | #38,793 |
| 2016 | modern | 2 | #38,825 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Port Glasgow, Govan Combination, Easingwold, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Glasgow | Renfrew |
| 2 | Govan Combination | Lanark |
| 3 | Easingwold | Yorkshire, North Riding |
| 4 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Oharra surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oharra, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Oharra surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Oharra household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Oharra is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oharra is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Oharra, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname OHARRA is believed to have originated from the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is thought to derive from the Basque words "or" meaning "meadow" and "harra" meaning "rocky ground" or "craggy area." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a rocky meadow or pasture.
The earliest known records of the OHARRA surname date back to the late 15th century in the Spanish province of Biscay. One of the first documented instances is found in a 1492 municipal register from the town of Bilbao, which lists a farmer named Juan de Oharra.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various legal documents and church records from the Basque region. For example, a court case from 1534 in the village of Bermeo mentions a landowner called Pedro de Oharra. Additionally, the baptismal records of the Church of San Vicente in Abando, near Bilbao, include an entry from 1572 for a child named Maria Oharra.
One notable figure with this surname was Martín de Oharra, a Basque sailor who served as a navigator on several Spanish expeditions to the Americas in the late 16th century. He is believed to have been born around 1550 in the town of Lekeitio, and he accompanied explorers such as Álvaro de Mendaña on voyages to the Solomon Islands and other parts of the Pacific.
In the 17th century, the OHARRA name can be found in various regions of Spain, likely due to migration from the Basque Country. For instance, there are records of an Antonia Oharra who was born in Madrid in 1623, and a Francisco Oharra who was a soldier in the Spanish Army stationed in Valencia in the 1670s.
Another notable figure was Ignacio de Oharra, a Basque merchant and shipowner who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in the town of Mutriku around 1670 and became a wealthy trader, owning several vessels that sailed between Spain and the Americas.
As the OHARRA surname spread beyond its Basque origins, variations in spelling emerged, such as Oharra, O'Harra, and O'Hara. These alternative forms can be found in records from Ireland, where the name may have been adopted by some families of Irish descent.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oharra surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 4 Oharras recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.15x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 4 | 4.15x |
| Lancashire | 3 | 2.60x |
| Renfrewshire | 2 | 26.53x |
| Lanarkshire | 1 | 3.18x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 4 Oharras recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.67x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford | 4 | 171.67x |
| Manchester | 2 | 38.54x |
| Paisley Middle Church | 2 | 454.55x |
| Govan | 1 | 12.85x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 14.27x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Oharra surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Oharra surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Oharra households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Dock Labr | 1 |
| Genl Laborer | 1 |
| Grinder (Machine Wks) (E & M) | 1 |
| House Keeper (Dom) | 1 |
| Machine Wool Comber (Stuff) | 1 |
| Scavenger | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 146 people were recorded with the Oharra surname. That placed it at #15,752 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 2 in 2016. That gives Oharra a modern rank of #38,825.
A Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near a rocky place or hillock.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oharra bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.