2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Odenheimer
An occupational surname derived from German meaning "owner of a large farm or estate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Odenheimer. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Odenheimer surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Odenheimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Odenheimer
The surname Odenheimer is of German origin, originating in the late Middle Ages around the 14th century. The name is derived from the combination of the words "Oden" and "heim," with "Oden" being an old Germanic name and "heim" meaning "home" or "village." This suggests that the name initially referred to a person who lived in a village or settlement associated with someone named Oden.
The earliest known records of the name Odenheimer can be traced back to the region of Bavaria in southern Germany. It is believed that the name first appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from this area, such as land records and ecclesiastical registers. However, specific references to individuals bearing this surname are scarce before the 16th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Odenheimer dates back to 1563, when a merchant named Hans Odenheimer was mentioned in a trade document from the city of Nuremberg. Another notable early reference comes from the records of the University of Heidelberg, where a student named Johann Odenheimer was enrolled in 1587.
Over the centuries, the name Odenheimer has undergone various spelling variations, including Odenheimmer, Odenheym, and Odenheimer. These variations often reflect regional dialects and differences in local pronunciations. Additionally, some branches of the Odenheimer family adopted alternative spellings or even different surnames altogether, making it challenging to trace their lineage accurately.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Odenheimer throughout history. One prominent figure was Johann Philipp Odenheimer (1675-1745), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Frankfurt. Another was Johann Georg Odenheimer (1730-1804), a renowned jurist and legal scholar who held prominent positions in the judiciary of the Palatinate region.
Other notable Odenheimers include:
1. Friedrich Odenheimer (1802-1876), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Odenheimer Steel Company in Philadelphia.
2. Elise Odenheimer (1846-1925), a German-American writer and activist for women's rights, known for her advocacy of educational reform.
3. Wilhelm Odenheimer (1877-1952), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and Frankfurt.
4. Bernhard Odenheimer (1892-1974), a Swiss-German composer and conductor who worked extensively in the field of contemporary classical music.
5. Sophia Odenheimer (1919-2005), an American artist and sculptor renowned for her abstract expressionist works and public installations.
While the surname Odenheimer has a rich history rooted in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to North America and other regions. However, its origins and significance remain deeply intertwined with the cultural and linguistic heritage of southern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Odenheimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Odenheimer bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Odenheimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Odenheimer
Odenheimer appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-10 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,694 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-19 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 16,694 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 16,042 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Odenheimer surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #139,228 | #155,270 | -11.5% |
| Count | 120 | 101 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Odenheimer bearers went from 120 to 101 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 16,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #155,270.
FAQ
Odenheimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Odenheimer?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Odenheimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Odenheimer?
Odenheimer ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Odenheimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Odenheimer.
Has Odenheimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Odenheimer went from 120 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Odenheimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Odenheimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Odenheimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Odenheimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Odenheimer (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Odenheimer mean?
An occupational surname derived from German meaning "owner of a large farm or estate". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Odenheimer (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Odenheimer?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.