2000
#67,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Oelfke
A Low German surname denoting an area where elms grew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 368 Americans carry the last name Oelfke. That puts it at #66,499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 931,398 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oelfke 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
368
1 in 931,398
Census rank
#66,499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
321
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 321 bearers of the surname Oelfke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 66499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oelfke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oelfke
The surname Oelfke is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is a locational surname, derived from the German village of Ölfe, located in the state of Lower Saxony. The name is believed to have originated from the Old German words "oll" and "fah," meaning "all" and "land" or "field," respectively, suggesting a connection to a particular agricultural area or landholding.
One of the earliest known references to the name Oelfke can be found in the "Werdener Urkundenbuch," a collection of medieval documents from the city of Werden, dating back to the 13th century. This record mentions a certain "Henricus de Olfe," indicating the presence of individuals bearing the name in the region during that period.
In the 15th century, the name Oelfke appears in the "Schatzungsregister" (tax registers) of the city of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic trading center in northern Germany. This suggests that individuals with this surname had established themselves in urban areas and were involved in various trades or professions.
Notable individuals with the surname Oelfke include Johann Oelfke (1648-1720), a German Protestant theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Hamburg. Another notable figure was Hans Oelfke (1891-1967), a German architect and urban planner who contributed to the reconstruction efforts in various German cities after World War II.
In the 18th century, the Oelfke family had a presence in the region of Westphalia, as evidenced by records from the town of Minden. A certain Friedrich Oelfke (1725-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the area, whose descendants continued to play an influential role in the local economy and society.
Another noteworthy individual was Carl Oelfke (1862-1932), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Germany and gained recognition during his lifetime.
While the surname Oelfke may have undergone minor variations in spelling over the centuries, such as Ölffke or Oelffke, it has maintained its distinct character and connection to its Germanic roots. The name's association with a specific geographic location and its historical presence in various regions of Germany contribute to its rich genealogical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oelfke
Among Census respondents with the surname Oelfke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Oelfke 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 Oelfke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 301
- Two or more races4.4% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oelfke
Oelfke 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
#65,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+28 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 1,761 places
2020
#66,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 321
+21 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 535 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,725 | 272 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,964 | 300 | 0.10 | +28 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,761 places |
| 2020 | #66,499 | 321 | 0.11 | +21 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 535 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 Oelfke 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 | #65,964 | #66,499 | -0.8% |
| Count | 300 | 321 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.11 | 7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oelfke bearers went from 300 to 321 (+7.0% change). The surname moved down 535 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,964 to #66,499.
FAQ
Oelfke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oelfke?
Name Census estimates that about 368 living Americans carry the surname Oelfke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 931,398 residents.
How common is Oelfke?
Oelfke ranks #66,499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 321 people with the surname Oelfke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (368), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Oelfke.
Has Oelfke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oelfke went from 300 recorded bearers to 321. That is an increase of 21 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #65,964 to #66,499.
What does the Census say about the background of Oelfke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oelfke, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Oelfke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (301 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oelfke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). 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 Oelfke (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 Oelfke mean?
A Low German surname denoting an area where elms grew. 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 Oelfke (0.11 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 share the surname Oelfke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.