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

Oldfather, 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 Oldfather surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oldfather in America

Oldfather is the 45026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oldfather surname appeared 476 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 Oldfather.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oldfather 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 Oldfather

The surname Oldfather originates from England, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "eald" meaning old and "fæder" meaning father, suggesting that it was initially a descriptive name given to an elderly man or the eldest male member of a family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oldfather name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230, which mention a Robert Oldefader. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also reference a William Oldefader from Lincolnshire.

The surname underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Oldefader, Oldfader, and Oldefather before settling on the modern form of Oldfather. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the Oldfather surname, but it does record several places with names containing the element "eald," such as Aldbury in Hertfordshire and Aldrington in Sussex, which may have been associated with early bearers of the name.

Notable individuals with the Oldfather surname include:

1. William Oldfather (1596-1672), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.
2. Richard Oldfather (1732-1807), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Canada.
3. Mary Oldfather (1788-1868), an American educator and pioneer in the field of women's education, known for founding the Oldfather's Seminary for Young Ladies in Indiana.
4. William Abbott Oldfather (1858-1942), an American classical scholar and professor at the University of Illinois, known for his translations of ancient Greek texts.
5. John Oldfather (1914-2004), an American architect and urban planner, known for his work on the revitalization of downtown areas in various cities across the United States.

While the Oldfather surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oldfather

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

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

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

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