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

Opatz, 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 Opatz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opatz in America

Opatz is the 58735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opatz surname appeared 345 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 Opatz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opatz 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 Opatz

The surname Opatz is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony during the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "Abt," which means "abbot" or "father superior" of a monastery. It is likely that the name was initially given to someone who held a position of authority within a religious order or had some connection to a monastic community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Opatz can be found in the church records of the town of Zwickau, located in Saxony, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention several individuals with the surname Opatz, suggesting that the name was already established in the area at that time.

The Opatz name is also known to have spread to other parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Silesia and East Prussia, where it can be found in historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries. In these regions, the name may have undergone slight variations in spelling, such as Opatz, Opas, or Opatz.

One notable individual bearing the Opatz surname was Johann Gottfried Opatz (1711-1783), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of Frederick the Great in Berlin. His compositions, which included sacred works and instrumental pieces, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

Another historical figure with the surname Opatz was Karl Opatz (1844-1920), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) from 1898 to 1907, representing the German Conservative Party.

In the 19th century, the Opatz name also found its way to other parts of Europe, including Poland and Russia, likely due to migration and population movements during that period. For example, there are records of an Opatz family residing in the city of Lodz, Poland, in the late 1800s.

Other notable individuals with the Opatz surname include Theodor Opatz (1846-1916), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and Paul Opatz (1881-1963), a German architect and urban planner who was involved in the reconstruction of Berlin after World War II.

While the surname Opatz is not among the most common in Germany or other parts of Europe, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, and religious figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opatz

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

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

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

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