2000
#18,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Omer
Derived from a Hebrew word meaning "sheaf of grain," likely referring to a harvest or agricultural occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,838 Americans carry the last name Omer. That puts it at #9,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Omer 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Omer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,305
Census rank
#9,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,347 bearers of the surname Omer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Omer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.5%. The next largest groups are White (36.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Omer
The surname OMER has its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the personal name Omar, which means "life" or "long-lived." The name traces its roots back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic expansion across the Middle East and North Africa.
The earliest recorded instances of the OMER surname can be found in records from the medieval Islamic world, particularly in regions like the Levant, Egypt, and parts of North Africa. It is believed that the surname was initially adopted by families or individuals who were descendants or followers of the second caliph, Omar ibn al-Khattab, one of the most influential figures in early Islamic history.
In the 11th century, the name OMER appeared in the "Book of Good Deeds" (Kitab al-Wulah), a historic text documenting the biographies of notable individuals from the region. One prominent bearer of the name mentioned in this text was Omar ibn Abi Rabia, a celebrated poet and scholar who lived in the early 8th century.
As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the OMER surname spread to other parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. In the 13th century, a prominent Sufi mystic and philosopher named Omar Khayyam, born in Nishapur, Persia (modern-day Iran), gained widespread recognition for his influential works, including the Rubaiyat.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule in the Balkans, the OMER surname became more prevalent in regions like Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it was often spelled as "Omer" or "Omerović." One notable figure from this region was Omer Pasha Latas, a military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the Ottoman-Russian wars of the 19th century (1807-1871).
In the Indian subcontinent, the OMER surname can be traced back to the Mughal Empire, where it was adopted by families of Arab or Persian descent. One prominent bearer of the name was Sir Omar Saeed Hayat Khan, a distinguished Indian politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Supply in the interim government of India in 1946 (1891-1958).
Other notable individuals with the OMER surname include Omar Torrijos, a former leader of Panama who played a pivotal role in the negotiation of the Panama Canal treaties (1929-1981), and Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, a British author and translator best known for his English translations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (1864-1944).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Omer
Among Census respondents with the surname Omer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.5%. The next largest groups are White (36.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Omer 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 Omer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.5% · 1,589
- White36.7% · 1,229
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.6% · 355
- Two or more races3.7% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Omer
Omer 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
#14,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,063
+668 bearers (+47.9%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 3,855 places
2020
#9,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
+1,284 bearers (+62.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 5,140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,329 | 1,395 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,474 | 2,063 | 0.70 | +668 bearers (+47.9%) | Up 3,855 places |
| 2020 | #9,334 | 3,347 | 1.12 | +1,284 bearers (+62.2%) | Up 5,140 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 Omer 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 | #14,474 | #9,334 | 35.5% |
| Count | 2,063 | 3,347 | 62.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 1.12 | 60.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Omer bearers went from 2,063 to 3,347 (+62.2% change). The surname moved up 5,140 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,474 to #9,334.
FAQ
Omer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Omer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,838 living Americans carry the surname Omer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,305 residents.
How common is Omer?
Omer ranks #9,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,347 people with the surname Omer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Omer.
Has Omer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Omer went from 2,063 recorded bearers to 3,347. That is an increase of 1,284 (+62.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,474 to #9,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Omer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Omer, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.5%. The next largest groups are White (36.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Omer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.5% (1,589 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Omer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.5%), White (36.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.6%). 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 Omer (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 Omer mean?
Derived from a Hebrew word meaning "sheaf of grain," likely referring to a harvest or agricultural occupation. 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 Omer (1.12 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 are called Omer?
You can see how many people have the surname Omer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.