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

Obernesser, 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 Obernesser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obernesser in America

Obernesser is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obernesser surname appeared 171 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 Obernesser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obernesser 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 Obernesser

The surname Obernesser originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the late medieval period. Its roots can be traced back to the German words "ober" and "nesser," with "ober" meaning "upper" or "higher," and "nesser" potentially derived from words related to water or rivers.

This surname may have initially referred to individuals who lived in higher-lying settlements near rivers or streams. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in German-language documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, often spelled with variations like "Obernasser" or "Obernessher."

One notable early bearer of the Obernesser name was Hans Obernesser, a merchant from the town of Regensburg in Bavaria, who was mentioned in local trade records from the late 15th century. Another early example is Konrad Obernesser, a farmer from the village of Oberndorf in Austria, whose name appears in land registry documents from the 1520s.

In the 16th century, the name Obernesser can be found in various records across German-speaking regions, including the Holy Roman Empire and the Swiss Confederacy. For instance, a certain Ulrich Obernesser was a renowned clockmaker from the city of Augsburg, active in the 1570s.

As the centuries progressed, the Obernesser surname spread across broader areas, with some bearers achieving notable status. One such individual was Johann Obernesser, a prominent theologian and professor at the University of Ingolstadt in the early 17th century.

Another figure of historical significance was Balthasar Obernesser, a military officer who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and later served as a commander in the imperial army of the Holy Roman Empire.

Additionally, the name Obernesser is associated with several artists and intellectuals throughout history, including the 18th-century painter Georg Obernesser from Vienna and the 19th-century philosopher and writer Ludwig Obernesser from Bavaria.

While the surname Obernesser is not among the most common surnames globally, it continues to be found in various German-speaking regions and among their diasporas, carrying a rich history and linguistic heritage from its medieval origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obernesser

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

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

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

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