Find out how popular the last name Oldenberg is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Oldenberg.
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "old town."
Oldenberg, 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 Oldenberg surname is from the 2010 census data.
Oldenberg is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Oldenberg surname appeared 128 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 Oldenberg.
We can also compare 2010 data for Oldenberg 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 132206 | 118236 | 11.16% |
| Count | 128 | 136 | -6.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.04 | 0.05 | -22.22% |
The surname Oldenberg is of German origin, derived from the Old German words "alt" meaning "old" and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." This name likely originated in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when surnames became more commonly adopted across Europe.
The name Oldenberg was likely first used as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near an old hill or mountain. It may have also been used as a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from a place called Oldenberg or a similar variation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oldenberg can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Saxon region of Germany, dating back to the 13th century. In this record, a certain "Johannes de Oldenberge" is mentioned in a land transaction from the year 1276.
Another notable early reference to the name Oldenberg is in the Braunschweigische Anzeigen, a historical newspaper from the Duchy of Brunswick, where a "Heinrich Oldenberg" is listed as a merchant in the city of Brunswick in the late 15th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Oldenberg. One of the earliest was Gerhard Oldenberg (1519-1599), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation in Saxony.
Another prominent figure was Heinrich Oldenberg (1854-1920), a German Indologist and Sanskrit scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian literature and culture. He was born in Hamburg and served as the director of the University Library in Kiel.
In the field of astronomy, Hermann Oldenberg (1854-1920) was a German astronomer and mathematician who made important discoveries related to the study of comets and asteroids. He was born in Bremen and worked at the observatories in Bonn and Bamberg.
The name Oldenberg has also been associated with notable places and locations. For instance, the town of Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany, may have derived its name from a similar etymology, referring to an "old castle" or "old fortification" in the area.
Overall, the surname Oldenberg has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with references dating back to the medieval period and spanning various fields, from religion and academia to science and exploration.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Oldenberg.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Oldenberg was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 97.66% | 125 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Oldenberg has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.66% | 95.59% | 2.14% |
| Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
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 Oldenberg was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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