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

Oberholtzer, 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 Oberholtzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oberholtzer in America

Oberholtzer is the 13326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oberholtzer surname appeared 2,289 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Oberholtzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oberholtzer 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 Oberholtzer

The surname Oberholtzer has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. The name is derived from the German words "ober" meaning "upper" and "holtz" meaning "wood" or "forest". It likely referred to someone who lived in an area near or above a wooded region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oberholtzer name can be found in the town records of Mühlhausen, Thuringia, where a Hans Oberholtzer was mentioned in 1587. By the 17th century, the name had spread to other parts of central and southern Germany, with variations in spelling such as Oberholzer and Oberholzer appearing in church registers and census records.

In the 18th century, several Oberholtzer families emigrated from Germany to the American colonies, settling primarily in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest arrivals was Jacob Oberholtzer, who was born in Württemberg, Germany in 1711 and arrived in Philadelphia in 1742. He and his family established themselves in Berks County, Pennsylvania, where they became prominent members of the local Mennonite community.

Another notable figure bearing the Oberholtzer name was Johann Oberholtzer, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1734 to 1808. He is best known for his intricate copperplate engravings of landscapes and architectural scenes, many of which were published in books and portfolios during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the Oberholtzer surname continued to spread throughout North America, with families settling in various parts of the United States and Canada. One prominent individual was Martin Grove Oberholtzer, born in 1818 in Pennsylvania, who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Philadelphia. He was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, now known as the University of the Arts.

Another notable Oberholtzer was Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer, a historian and author born in 1868 in Pennsylvania. He wrote extensively about the history of Pennsylvania and the American Revolution, publishing works such as "The Literary History of Philadelphia" and "The Travels of the Rev. Samuel Bownas in America, 1702-1725".

By the 20th century, the Oberholtzer surname had become well-established across various parts of North America, with families continuing to make contributions in various fields, including academia, business, and public service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oberholtzer

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

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

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

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