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

Oldenburg, 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 Oldenburg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oldenburg in America

Oldenburg is the 10819th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oldenburg surname appeared 2,944 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Oldenburg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oldenburg 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 Oldenburg

The surname Oldenburg has its origins in the northern regions of Germany, specifically in the state of Lower Saxony. The name is derived from the city and former Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, which traces its roots back to the 12th century. The name is believed to stem from the Old Saxon words "old" meaning "old" and "burg" meaning "fortified town" or "castle."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Oldenburg can be found in various medieval records and chronicles from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Bremische Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the former Archbishopric of Bremen, there are references to individuals with the surname Oldenburg as early as the mid-13th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Count Christian VI of Oldenburg, who lived from 1252 to 1334. He was a prominent figure in the region and played a significant role in the expansion and consolidation of the Oldenburg territory. Another notable figure was Count Dietrich of Oldenburg, who lived from 1398 to 1440 and was a renowned military commander during the Hussite Wars.

In the 15th century, the Oldenburg family rose to prominence as the ruling dynasty of Denmark, Norway, and later, Sweden. The most famous member of this dynasty was Christian I of Denmark, who was born in 1426 and reigned as King of Denmark from 1448 until his death in 1481. He was instrumental in uniting the Scandinavian kingdoms under the Kalmar Union.

Another prominent individual with the surname Oldenburg was Gerhard Oldenburg, a German astronomer who lived from 1504 to 1557. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is credited with being one of the first to observe the periodic nature of comets.

In the 17th century, the Oldenburg family continued to play a significant role in European politics. Count Anton Günther of Oldenburg, who lived from 1583 to 1667, was a renowned military leader and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War.

The surname Oldenburg has also been associated with various places and regions beyond its original homeland. For instance, the town of Oldenburg in Indiana, United States, was named after the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg in recognition of the German settlers who established the community in the mid-19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oldenburg

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

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

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

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