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

Och, 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 Och surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Och in America

Och is the 44576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Och surname appeared 482 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 Och.

We can also compare 2010 data for Och 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 Och

The surname Och originated in Germany during the early medieval period, likely derived from the Old German word "och" which referred to a type of oxen or cattle. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone who worked with oxen or cattle, such as a drover or herder.

The earliest recorded instances of the Och surname can be traced back to the 12th century in Bavaria, where various spellings like Och, Oche, and Ochel appeared in local records and documents. One notable example is Heinricus Och, who was mentioned in a land deed from the town of Ingolstadt in 1154.

As the surname spread across different regions of Germany, it evolved into various spellings and variants, including Ochse, Ochsner, and Ochsenfeld. These variations often incorporated elements of place names or descriptors related to the occupation or location of the family.

In the 14th century, the Och surname appeared in the Codex Manesse, a renowned collection of Middle High German poetry, indicating its presence among the noble classes of the time. One famous bearer of the name was Johann Och (1565-1635), a German theologian and reformer who was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Och surname gained prominence in various parts of Europe, particularly in areas with German cultural influence. Notable individuals include Johannes Och (1572-1616), a German composer and organist, and Johann Och (1619-1673), a German philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Leipzig.

As people with the Och surname migrated and settled in different regions, the name took on unique local variations and spellings. For instance, in the Netherlands, the name appeared as Ock or Ocken, while in parts of Switzerland, it was sometimes spelled as Ochsenbein or Ochsner.

Throughout its history, the Och surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, from academics and clergy to artists and musicians. Some other notable bearers of the name include Johann Michael Och (1719-1789), a German architect and sculptor, and Johann Och (1774-1838), a German painter known for his religious and historical works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Och

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

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

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

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