Offenbach
A German locational surname derived from the town of Offenbach.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Offenbach. That puts it at #148,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Offenbach surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#148,347
2010 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 Offenbach in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Offenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Offenbach
The surname Offenbach originated in Germany and dates back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Offenbach am Main, located in the German state of Hesse. The name Offenbach is thought to come from the Old High German words "offan" meaning "open" and "bach" meaning "brook" or "stream," suggesting that the town was located near an open or exposed stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Offenbach can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt, which mentions a person named "Conradus de Offenbach" in 1273.
The Offenbach surname is closely tied to the town of Offenbach am Main, which was granted town rights in 1487 and became an important center for trade and industry. In the 16th century, a notable family bearing the Offenbach name was the Offenbach-Schönborn family, who were influential landowners and officials in the region.
One of the most famous individuals to bear the Offenbach surname was Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), a German-born French composer and cellist who is considered one of the pioneers of the operetta genre. His works, such as "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "The Tales of Hoffmann," were highly popular and influential in the world of music and theater.
Another notable bearer of the Offenbach name was Robert Offenbach (1808-1876), a German violinist and conductor who co-founded the Offenbach String Quartet and served as the music director of the Frankfurt Opera.
In the 19th century, the Offenbach family also played a significant role in the banking industry. Jacob Offenbach (1799-1880) was a prominent German banker and philanthropist who founded the banking house J. Offenbach & Co. in Cologne.
Other historical figures with the Offenbach surname include Johann Offenbach (1603-1665), a German theologian and author, and Friedrich Offenbach (1801-1864), a German architect and urban planner who designed many notable buildings in Frankfurt.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Offenbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Offenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Offenbach bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Offenbach surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Offenbach surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #148,347 | 0.0% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Offenbach bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,347.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Offenbach
FAQ
Offenbach surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Offenbach?
The surname Offenbach holds position #148,347 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 137 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Offenbach surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Offenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.