NameCensus.

UK surname

Ohene

A Ghanaian surname meaning "ruler" or "king".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hounslow, Barnet and Harrow.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ohene is 126 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

2011

126 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Ohene surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ohene surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ohene 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
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1891 historical 3 #34,257
1997 modern 66 #31,038
1998 modern 77 #30,289
1999 modern 78 #30,327
2000 modern 75 #30,668
2001 modern 71 #30,907
2002 modern 74 #31,048
2003 modern 68 #31,689
2004 modern 77 #31,024
2005 modern 89 #29,683
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 89 #30,383
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 126 #26,060
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 114 #28,347
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Ohenes 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 Hounslow, Barnet, Harrow, Redbridge and Kensington and Chelsea. 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 Hounslow 028 Hounslow
2 Barnet 021 Barnet
3 Harrow 020 Harrow
4 Redbridge 027 Redbridge
5 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ohene

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ohene

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ohene, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Ohene surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Ohene 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Ohene is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ohene 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

Ohene falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ohene 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 Ohene, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ohene

The surname Ohene is of Ghanaian origin and can be traced back to the Akan people of present-day Ghana. It is derived from the Akan word 'Ohene', which translates to 'king' or 'ruler'. The name likely originated among the royal families and nobility of the Akan kingdoms that flourished in the region during the 15th to 19th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ohene can be found in historical documents and records from the Ashanti Empire, one of the most powerful Akan kingdoms of the time. Some notable mentions include Otumfuo Osei Tutu I (c. 1660-1717), the founder of the Ashanti Empire, and his successor, Opoku Ware I (c. 1700-1750), both of whom bore the title 'Ohene' as the rulers of the Ashanti people.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ohene surname also appeared in records from the British colonial administration in the Gold Coast (now Ghana). One notable figure from this period was Joseph Ephraim Casely-Hayford (1866-1930), a writer, educator, and political activist who was instrumental in the early nationalist movement in the Gold Coast.

Another prominent individual with the surname Ohene was Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972), the first Prime Minister and President of independent Ghana. He was born Francis Nwia-Kofi Ngonloma and later adopted the name Kwame Nkrumah, which means 'Born on Saturday' in the Akan language.

In more recent times, the Ohene surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh (1946-2020), a Ghanaian diplomat and former United Nations official, and Amma Asante (born 1969), a British filmmaker and director of Ghanaian descent, known for her works exploring themes of race, identity, and culture.

It is important to note that while the Ohene surname has its roots in the Akan kingdoms of Ghana, it has since spread beyond the country's borders and can be found among people of Ghanaian descent in various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Ohene surname: questions and answers

How common is the Ohene surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Ohene a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Ohene surname mean?

A Ghanaian surname meaning "ruler" or "king".

What does the Ohene map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ohene 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.