2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oberc
A locational surname originating from the German town of Oberwillingen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Oberc. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oberc surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Oberc in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberc, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oberc
The surname OBERC has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly derived from an occupational term or a geographic location.
One theory suggests that the name OBERC is rooted in the Old Slavic word "ober," which means "to choose" or "to select." This could indicate that the original bearers of the name were involved in some form of selection process, perhaps as officials or administrators responsible for making choices or decisions.
Another possible origin is that the name is a derivative of a place name, such as a village or town. While specific records are scarce, some scholars believe that the name may have originated in a settlement or region with a name similar to "Oberc" or a variation thereof.
In terms of historical references, the earliest known written record of the surname OBERC dates back to the 15th century. A document from 1472, housed in the archives of the city of Krakow, Poland, mentions an individual named Jan OBERC, who was a merchant and landowner.
Over the centuries, the name has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Andrzej OBERC (1515-1587), a Polish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the wars against the Teutonic Knights.
In the 18th century, Franciszek OBERC (1737-1802) was a renowned architect and urban planner who designed various landmarks in the city of Lviv, now part of Ukraine.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Jadwiga OBERC (1879-1942), a Polish educator and women's rights activist who founded several schools and advocated for female education.
During the 20th century, Jerzy OBERC (1920-1996) gained recognition as a Polish linguist and academic, known for his contributions to the study of Slavic languages.
One of the more recent figures with the surname OBERC was Wanda OBERC (1930-2018), a Polish artist and sculptor whose works explored themes of nature and spirituality.
While the surname OBERC is not among the most common in the world, it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, particularly in areas with strong Slavic cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oberc
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberc, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Oberc bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Oberc surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 112
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oberc
Oberc appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,964 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+15 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 14,964 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 15,218 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Oberc surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #145,757 | 9.5% |
| Count | 100 | 115 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oberc bearers went from 100 to 115 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 15,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,757.
FAQ
Oberc surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oberc?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Oberc. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Oberc?
Oberc ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Oberc. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Oberc.
Has Oberc become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oberc went from 100 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 15 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Oberc?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberc, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Oberc in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oberc appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Two or More Races (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Oberc (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Oberc mean?
A locational surname originating from the German town of Oberwillingen. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Oberc (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Oberc?
Find out how many people have the last name Oberc on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.