2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oellrich
A locational surname originating in Germany, referring to an area rich in oil production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Oellrich. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oellrich 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Oellrich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oellrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oellrich
The surname Oellrich has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Öl," meaning "oil," combined with the suffix "-rich," which implies wealth or abundance. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone involved in the trade or production of oils or related products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oellrich surname can be found in the village of Deidesheim, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, where it appeared in a local census record from 1582. It is likely that the name originated in this area or nearby towns.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Hans Oellrich (1612-1687) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Mainz. His successful business dealings in the trade of oils and other goods contributed to the family's prosperity and further established the Oellrich name in the region.
Another significant individual bearing the Oellrich surname was Johann Georg Oellrich (1732-1798), a renowned clockmaker from the town of Zweibrücken. His intricate timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and wealthy patrons throughout Europe, and his work is still celebrated today in horological circles.
During the 19th century, the Oellrich name spread to other parts of Germany, with records indicating families settling in cities like Berlin and Hamburg. One noteworthy individual from this period was Karl Oellrich (1819-1892), a respected lawyer and legal scholar who authored several influential works on German civil law.
As the Oellrich family continued to grow and disperse, some members emigrated to other countries, carrying the surname with them. In the United States, a prominent figure was Friedrich Oellrich (1845-1920), a German-American businessman who founded a successful brewing company in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the late 19th century.
While the Oellrich surname may not be as widely known as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from commerce and industry to law and craftsmanship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oellrich
Among Census respondents with the surname Oellrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Oellrich 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 Oellrich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oellrich
Oellrich appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 730 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 730 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 Oellrich 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 | #149,395 | #148,665 | 0.5% |
| Count | 110 | 111 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oellrich bearers went from 110 to 111 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 730 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #148,665.
FAQ
Oellrich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oellrich?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Oellrich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Oellrich?
Oellrich ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Oellrich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Oellrich.
Has Oellrich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oellrich went from 110 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Oellrich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oellrich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Oellrich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oellrich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Oellrich (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 Oellrich mean?
A locational surname originating in Germany, referring to an area rich in oil production. 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 Oellrich (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Oellrich?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.