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

Offenberger, 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 Offenberger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Offenberger in America

Offenberger is the 44872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Offenberger surname appeared 478 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 Offenberger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Offenberger 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 Offenberger

The surname Offenberger is of German origin, originating in the 15th century from the Middle High German words "offen" meaning "open" and "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." It likely referred to someone who lived in an open or exposed area near a hill or mountain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 15th century in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. Spellings like Offenberger, Offenberger, and Offenberger were common in old manuscripts and records from that era.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Kirchenbücher (church registers) of several German towns and villages, indicating its presence among both urban and rural populations. One notable early bearer of the name was Hans Offenberger, a farmer from the village of Gräfenberg in Franconia, who was mentioned in a land deed from 1562.

The Offenberger name also surfaced in historical records of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), with a few instances of soldiers and militiamen bearing the surname. One such individual was Johann Offenberger, a mercenary from Saxony who fought in the Battle of Lützen in 1632.

As the centuries progressed, the name spread across various German states and territories, with some bearers eventually migrating to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the 19th century, several Offenbergers were recorded in Austrian and Swiss records, likely descendants of earlier German immigrants or travelers.

Notable individuals with the Offenberger surname throughout history include:

1. Johann Offenberger (1602-1678), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Anna Maria Offenberger (1718-1792), a German painter and portraitist from Munich.
3. Friedrich Offenberger (1796-1864), a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Karl Offenberger (1848-1923), an Austrian architect and urban planner known for his work in Vienna.
5. Otto Offenberger (1874-1957), a German-American engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of mechanical engineering.

While the Offenberger name has its roots firmly planted in German soil, it has since spread across the globe, carried by migration and diaspora over the centuries, becoming a part of the rich tapestry of surnames that reflect the diverse histories and cultures of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Offenberger

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

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

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

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