2000
#96,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Oberdorfer
A surname of German origin meaning "someone from the upper village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 192 Americans carry the last name Oberdorfer. That puts it at #111,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,785,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oberdorfer 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
192
1 in 1,785,179
Census rank
#111,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 167 bearers of the surname Oberdorfer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberdorfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oberdorfer
The surname Oberdorfer is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Its earliest documented instances can be traced to the southern regions of present-day Germany, particularly in the areas surrounding Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
The name Oberdorfer is a compound word derived from the German terms "ober" and "dorf," translating to "upper village" or "higher village." This suggests that the surname was initially associated with individuals residing in elevated or higher-lying settlements, possibly distinguishing them from those living in lower-lying areas.
Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate the presence of the Oberdorfer name in various medieval manuscripts and documents. For instance, an entry dated 1287 in the Nuremberg City Archives mentions a certain "Hans Oberdorfer," believed to be a merchant or tradesman.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Oberdorfer name was Johann Oberdorfer (1455-1521), a renowned scholar and humanist from Nuremberg. He was known for his contributions to the field of education and his advocacy for the study of classical literature.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Friedrich Oberdorfer (1720-1793), a German theologian and philosopher from Heidelberg. He authored several influential works on religious studies and moral philosophy during the Enlightenment period.
The Oberdorfer name also appears in historical records from neighboring regions, such as Austria and Switzerland. For example, in the 16th century, a family by the name of Oberdorfer resided in the town of Innsbruck, where they were involved in various trades and professions.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Karl Oberdorfer (1815-1892), a German painter and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Bavaria. His works are preserved in several art galleries and museums across Europe.
It is worth noting that the name Oberdorfer has undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, with alternative forms such as Oberdorffer, Oberdörfer, or Oberdörffer appearing in historical documents. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oberdorfer
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberdorfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Oberdorfer 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 Oberdorfer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 148
- Two or more races4.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oberdorfer
Oberdorfer 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
#100,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
+5 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 3,822 places
2020
#111,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
-13 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 11,694 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,480 | 175 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #100,302 | 180 | 0.06 | +5 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 3,822 places |
| 2020 | #111,996 | 167 | 0.06 | -13 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 11,694 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 Oberdorfer 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 | #100,302 | #111,996 | -11.7% |
| Count | 180 | 167 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oberdorfer bearers went from 180 to 167 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 11,694 positions in the national ranking, going from #100,302 to #111,996.
FAQ
Oberdorfer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oberdorfer?
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the surname Oberdorfer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,785,179 residents.
How common is Oberdorfer?
Oberdorfer ranks #111,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 167 people with the surname Oberdorfer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Oberdorfer.
Has Oberdorfer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oberdorfer went from 180 recorded bearers to 167. That is a decrease of 13 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #100,302 to #111,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Oberdorfer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oberdorfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Oberdorfer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (148 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oberdorfer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.6%). 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 Oberdorfer (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 Oberdorfer mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "someone from the upper village." 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 Oberdorfer (0.06 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 have the surname Oberdorfer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.