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

Oehlerking, 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 Oehlerking surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oehlerking in America

Oehlerking is the 65593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oehlerking surname appeared 302 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 Oehlerking.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oehlerking 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 Oehlerking

The surname OEHLERKING is of German origin, emerging in the late 16th century. It likely originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was first recorded. The name is a compound of two words, "Oehler" and "King," both of which have their roots in older Germanic languages.

OEHLERKING is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "ölære," meaning an oil maker or seller. This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals involved in the production or trade of oils, which were essential commodities in medieval times. The second part, "King," is a title that may have been added later to denote status or authority within the oil-making guild or profession.

One of the earliest known references to the OEHLERKING name dates back to a 1592 census record in the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans OEHLERKING was listed as a resident. Another early mention can be found in a 1618 church registry from the village of Rothenbach, which documents the marriage of Anna OEHLERKING to a local farmer.

In the 17th century, the OEHLERKING name began to spread beyond its original German heartland. Historical records show that in 1652, a family bearing the name settled in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where they established a successful oil trading business. Around the same time, another branch of the OEHLERKING lineage can be traced to the town of Riga in modern-day Latvia, where they were involved in the Baltic amber trade.

Notable individuals with the OEHLERKING surname include Johann OEHLERKING (1645-1721), a renowned clockmaker from Dresden whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by European nobility. Another prominent figure was Friedrich OEHLERKING (1785-1867), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of Berlin.

In the 19th century, members of the OEHLERKING family began to migrate to other parts of Europe and beyond. For instance, in 1842, a certain Georg OEHLERKING (1814-1892) emigrated from Hamburg to the United States, where he became a successful businessman in the growing city of Chicago.

As for famous OEHLERKING personalities of more recent times, one noteworthy example is Elsa OEHLERKING (1900-1984), a German-born artist whose expressionist paintings gained recognition in the early 20th century art world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oehlerking

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

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

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

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