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

Officer, 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 Officer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Officer in America

Officer is the 19814th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Officer surname appeared 1,357 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 Officer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Officer 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 Officer

The surname OFFICER is an occupational name that originated in England during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old French term "oficier," which in turn comes from the Latin word "officium," meaning "office" or "duty." The name refers to someone who held an official position or performed a specific duty, such as a member of the clergy, a court official, or a military officer.

In medieval England, the name OFFICER was often associated with individuals who served in administrative roles or held positions of authority within the church, government, or military. Early records from the 13th and 14th centuries mention individuals bearing this surname, although the exact origins and earliest recorded instances are somewhat obscure.

One of the earliest known references to the name OFFICER can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled by the English government. These rolls contain entries for individuals with the surname OFFICER, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.

During the 14th century, the surname OFFICER appeared in various historical documents, including court records and tax rolls. One notable individual was John Officer, a clergyman who lived in the late 14th century and served as the rector of a parish in Lincolnshire.

As the name spread throughout England, it took on various spellings, such as Offecer, Offiser, and Offycer, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. These variations persisted until the standardization of English spelling in the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the 15th century, the name OFFICER became more prominent, with several individuals bearing this surname appearing in historical records. One such person was William Officer, a merchant from London who was active in the 1470s and participated in trade with the Hanseatic League.

The 16th century saw the rise of notable figures with the surname OFFICER, including Robert Officer (c. 1510-1580), a Scottish clergyman who played a role in the Scottish Reformation. Another individual of note was John Officer (c. 1545-1608), an English mathematician and astronomer who published works on astronomy and navigation.

As the centuries progressed, the OFFICER surname continued to be associated with individuals in various professions, including the military, civil service, and academia. Examples include Sir Robert Officer (1801-1879), a British naval officer and colonial administrator, and Sir John Officer (1868-1936), a British Army officer and military historian.

Throughout its history, the surname OFFICER has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and occupations, reflecting its origins as an occupational name denoting a position of authority or responsibility.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Officer

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

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

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

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