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

Obenauf, 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 Obenauf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obenauf in America

Obenauf is the 57372nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obenauf surname appeared 355 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 Obenauf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obenauf 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 Obenauf

The surname OBENAUF has its origins in the German language. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas that are now part of modern-day Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, during the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century.

The name OBENAUF is derived from the German words "oben" meaning "above" or "on top" and "auf" meaning "on" or "upon." This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived at a higher elevation or on top of a hill or mountain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OBENAUF can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The book mentions an individual named Hans Obenauf, who was a prominent citizen of the city of Nuremberg during that time.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family named OBENAUF residing in the town of Ulm, located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. This family was involved in the local textile trade and had several members who held positions of importance within the town's guilds.

During the 17th century, a man named Jakob OBENAUF (born in 1624) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Augsburg, which was known for its excellence in the field of timepiece manufacturing.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname OBENAUF was Johann Georg OBENAUF (1695-1768), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Carl Friedrich OBENAUF (1804-1884), a German landscape painter and etcher who was known for his beautiful depictions of the Black Forest region in southwestern Germany.

While the name OBENAUF has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration. However, the historical accounts and records mentioned above provide insights into the origins and early occurrences of this surname within its native German context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obenauf

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

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 Obenauf 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 Obenauf 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 Obenauf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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