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

Obier, 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 Obier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obier in America

Obier is the 52383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obier surname appeared 396 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 Obier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obier 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 Obier

The surname Obier has its origins in the French region of Normandy, dating back to the early 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "obier," which referred to a type of tree known as the serviceberry or juneberry. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked with or lived near these trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Étienne de Caen, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century. The document mentions a certain "Robertus Obier" who was a landowner in the village of Saint-Germain-la-Blanche-Herbe.

During the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of France, as evidenced by the presence of individuals bearing the surname in various historical records. For instance, a certain "Guillaume Obier" was listed as a resident of the town of Châteaudun in the Beauce region, in a census conducted in 1278.

In the 14th century, the name Obier can be found in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy, where a notable figure named Jean Obier (c. 1320 - 1389) served as a magistrate and advisor to the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold.

As the centuries passed, the name continued to be present in various parts of France, with some members of the Obier family achieving notable positions. One such individual was Jacques Obier (1567 - 1632), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a counselor in the Parlement of Paris.

Another notable figure was Marie-Thérèse Obier (1703 - 1778), a French painter and portraitist who was renowned for her works depicting members of the aristocracy and the royal court. Her paintings can be found in various art collections across Europe.

In the 19th century, the name Obier was also present in other parts of Europe, including Germany and Belgium. One notable individual from this period was Wilhelm Obier (1821 - 1892), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in the city of Aachen.

While the surname Obier has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have immigrated to other countries over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Norman region of France, where it emerged as an occupational surname related to the serviceberry tree.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obier

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

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

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

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