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

Obstfeld, 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 Obstfeld surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obstfeld in America

Obstfeld is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obstfeld surname appeared 115 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 Obstfeld.

The history of the last name Obstfeld

The surname OBSTFELD is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late Middle Ages or early modern period. The name is derived from the German words "obst" meaning fruit and "feld" meaning field, suggesting it may have referred to an orchard or area where fruit was cultivated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 16th century Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Schnaittach in Bavaria. An entry from 1572 mentions a Hans Obstfeld, who was likely a farmer or landowner in the region.

The OBSTFELD name also appears in several historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries in various German states and principalities. For instance, records from the city of Nuremberg in 1683 mention a merchant named Johann Obstfeld, while a 1712 registry from the town of Erlangen lists a baker named Georg Obstfeld.

In the 19th century, the surname OBSTFELD began to spread beyond its German roots as people emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was the Austrian writer and journalist Rudolf Obstfeld (1850-1922), who was born in Vienna and wrote extensively on social and political issues.

Another prominent individual with the surname was the German-American economist Maurice Obstfeld (1952-2018), who served as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund from 2015 to 2018. He was born in New York and made significant contributions to the fields of international economics and macroeconomics.

Other historical figures bearing the OBSTFELD name include the German painter and illustrator Franz Obstfeld (1856-1929), known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes, and the American lawyer and judge Solomon Obstfeld (1914-2005), who served on the Supreme Court of Oregon from 1977 to 1985.

While the OBSTFELD surname may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting the migration patterns and diverse occupations of those who carried this name through the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obstfeld

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

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 Obstfeld 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.

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

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

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