2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ohlert
A surname derived from a Middle Low German term meaning "olive tree" or "olive plantation".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Ohlert. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ohlert 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Ohlert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohlert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ohlert
The surname Ohlert is of German origin, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages in regions of what is now modern-day Germany. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Ohlert," which referred to a person who worked as an olive oil trader or merchant.
In the 13th century, records show the name Ohlert appearing in various forms, such as Ohlert, Ohlerde, and Ohlerde, in various German regions, including Bavaria and Saxony. These early spellings suggest that the name may have initially been associated with specific towns or villages where olive oil trading was a common occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ohlert can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Duchy of Saxony, dating back to the 14th century. The document mentions an individual named "Johannes Ohlert" who was a merchant in the city of Leipzig.
Another notable historical figure bearing the surname Ohlert was Hans Ohlert, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his religious-themed artwork and his collaborations with other notable artists of the time, such as Albrecht Dürer.
During the 17th century, the name Ohlert appears to have spread beyond Germany, as records show individuals with this surname living in neighboring regions, such as the Netherlands and Denmark. One notable individual from this era was Pieter Ohlert, a Dutch merchant and trader who was involved in the spice trade with the East Indies.
In the 18th century, the Ohlert name gained prominence in the field of academia, with Johann Georg Ohlert (1718-1789), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig. His writings and teachings had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time.
Another notable figure from this period was Carl Friedrich Ohlert (1756-1835), a German composer and music theorist. He was known for his contributions to the development of music education and his compositions for various instruments, including the piano and the violin.
Throughout the 19th century, the Ohlert surname continued to be present in various fields, including science, literature, and politics. One prominent individual was Gustav Ohlert (1831-1901), a German botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and the classification of plants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ohlert
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohlert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ohlert 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 Ohlert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ohlert
Ohlert appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Ohlert 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ohlert bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Ohlert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ohlert?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Ohlert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Ohlert?
Ohlert ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Ohlert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Ohlert.
Has Ohlert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ohlert went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Ohlert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ohlert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ohlert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ohlert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ohlert (2000, 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 Ohlert mean?
A surname derived from a Middle Low German term meaning "olive tree" or "olive plantation". 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 Ohlert (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 people share the surname Ohlert?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.