Find out how popular the last name Obal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Obal.

Obal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Obal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obal in America

Obal is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obal surname appeared 245 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Obal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obal to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Obal

The surname OBAL is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Czech word "obalovat," which means "to wrap" or "to envelop," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with wrapping materials or packaging.

One of the earliest known references to the OBAL surname can be found in a church record from the town of Olomouc, dating back to 1587. This record mentions a certain Jan OBAL, who was a local tradesman. Additionally, there are records of an OBAL family residing in the village of Velké Hoštice in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of what was then known as the Kingdom of Bohemia. A notable figure from this period was Jakub OBAL (1623-1692), a respected craftsman and woodcarver from the town of Litomyšl, whose intricate works adorned several churches and monasteries in the region.

As the centuries progressed, the OBAL surname continued to be found across various parts of what is now the Czech Republic, as well as in neighboring regions such as Moravia and Silesia. In the 19th century, a prominent OBAL family lived in the town of Ostrava, where they owned a successful brewery. One of the members of this family, Karel OBAL (1845-1912), was a respected businessman and philanthropist.

Another notable OBAL was Alžběta OBALOVÁ (1892-1972), a pioneering Czech educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first schools in Prague that provided equal education opportunities for girls and boys, breaking down traditional gender barriers in education.

While the OBAL surname is not as widespread as some other Czech surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout the country's history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from skilled tradesmen to entrepreneurs and educators.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Obal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Obal was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Obal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Obal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Obal, please contact us.

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