2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oitker
A variant spelling of the German surname Heitker, derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Oitker. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oitker 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 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 Oitker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oitker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oitker
The surname OITKER is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "oitkere," which translates to "innkeeper" or "tavern keeper." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the hospitality industry or owned and operated inns or taverns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the OITKER name can be found in the municipal records of the town of Augsburg, located in the German state of Bavaria. In 1587, a man named Hans OITKER is mentioned as having been granted a license to operate a tavern within the town limits. This provides strong evidence of the name's connection to the innkeeping trade during that period.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, various spelling variations emerged. Some of these include OITTKER, OITKER, and OYTKER. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices during those times.
In the 17th century, the OITKER name appears to have gained prominence in the region of Westphalia, located in the northwestern part of Germany. Records from this period mention several individuals with the surname, including Johann OITKER, a wealthy merchant and landowner born in 1619, and his son, Friedrich OITKER (1658-1734), who served as a prominent town councilor.
One of the most notable figures in OITKER history is August OITKER (1836-1916), a successful entrepreneur and industrialist from Bielefeld, Westphalia. He founded the Oitker Group, which grew to become one of the largest food companies in Germany, renowned for its baked goods and confectionery products.
Another influential person bearing this surname was Karl OITKER (1901-1988), a German businessman and philanthropist. He served as the chairman of the Oitker Group for several decades and played a significant role in the company's expansion and diversification.
It is worth mentioning that the OITKER name is not exclusively German. Historical records indicate that it has also been present in other European countries, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, likely due to migration patterns and intermarriages across national borders.
Overall, the surname OITKER has a rich history deeply rooted in the hospitality and commerce sectors of Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Westphalia. Its evolution and various spellings reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of the areas where it was prevalent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oitker
Among Census respondents with the surname Oitker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Oitker 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 Oitker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oitker
Oitker appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,516 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 Oitker 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 | #143,149 | #148,665 | -3.9% |
| Count | 116 | 111 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oitker bearers went from 116 to 111 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #148,665.
FAQ
Oitker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oitker?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Oitker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Oitker?
Oitker ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Oitker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Oitker.
Has Oitker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oitker went from 116 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Oitker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oitker, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Oitker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oitker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Oitker (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 Oitker mean?
A variant spelling of the German surname Heitker, derived from a place name. 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 Oitker (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 Americans have the surname Oitker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.