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

Oelrich, 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 Oelrich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oelrich in America

Oelrich is the 46404th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oelrich surname appeared 459 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 Oelrich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oelrich 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 Oelrich

The surname OELRICH is of German origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "Oelreich," which translates to "rich in oil" or "wealthy in oil." This name likely originated in regions known for their olive oil production or trade, such as parts of Bavaria or Saxony.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname OELRICH can be found in various town and parish records from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is Johannes Oelrich, a merchant from Nuremberg who is mentioned in a trade document dated 1487. Another early bearer of the name was Hans Oelrich, a landowner from the town of Freiburg, whose name appears in a property deed from 1529.

In the 17th century, the surname OELRICH began to spread beyond its original German regions. In 1632, a man named Christoph Oelrich is recorded as having settled in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where he worked as a trader in olive oil and other goods. Later, in 1689, a family by the name of Oelrich emigrated from Germany to the British colonies in North America, settling in what is now Pennsylvania.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname OELRICH was Johann Oelrich (1655-1720), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena. He authored several works on metaphysics and ethics, including the influential treatise "De Harmonia Praestabilita" (On Pre-Established Harmony).

Another distinguished bearer of the name was Friedrich Oelrich (1772-1849), a German jurist and statesman who served as the Minister of Justice for the Kingdom of Saxony in the early 19th century. He played a significant role in reforming the legal system and advocating for the rights of citizens.

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname OELRICH was Gerhard Oelrich (1908-1992), a German-American physicist who made important contributions to the development of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project. He later became a vocal advocate for nuclear disarmament and participated in numerous anti-nuclear campaigns.

Other notable figures with the surname OELRICH include the German artist Günther Oelrich (1920-2005), known for his abstract expressionist paintings, and the American composer and conductor Richard Oelrich (1928-2003), who served as the music director of several prestigious orchestras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oelrich

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

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

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

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