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

Obrist, 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 Obrist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obrist in America

Obrist is the 66164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obrist surname appeared 299 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 Obrist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obrist 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 Obrist

The surname OBRIST originated in Switzerland and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "obrist," which means "highest" or "uppermost." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in an elevated location or held a position of authority.

In the early 14th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Swiss cantons of Bern and Zürich. For instance, a certain Henricus Obrist was mentioned in a document from the city of Bern in 1321.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was likely Johann Obrist, who lived in the village of Rüschlikon, near Zürich, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Hans Obrist, a Swiss mercenary captain who fought in the Italian Wars during the early 16th century.

Over the centuries, the name has been associated with several prominent individuals. One of the most famous was the Swiss Anabaptist leader Jakob Obrist (1518-1571), who played a significant role in the spread of the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Obrist (1640-1701), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of comets and planetary orbits.

In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the Swiss writer and philosopher Johann Caspar Obrist (1805-1874), who wrote extensively on ethical and philosophical topics.

More recently, the name has been associated with the Swiss art curator and critic Hans Ulrich Obrist (born 1968), who is known for his innovative approaches to curating and his work with contemporary artists.

Throughout its history, the surname OBRIST has undergone various spellings, such as Obrist, Obrist, and Obrest, reflecting regional variations and language changes over time. However, its origins can be traced back to the Swiss German-speaking regions, where it has maintained a strong presence for several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obrist

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

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

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

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