2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Opbroek
A Dutch surname meaning "on/upon the pants" or referring to living on the edge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Opbroek. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Opbroek 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Opbroek in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Opbroek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opbroek
The surname OPBROEK originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen, during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is derived from the Dutch words "op" meaning "on" and "broek" meaning "marsh" or "bog." The name likely referred to someone who lived or worked on a marshy area or reclaimed land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OPBROEK can be found in the records of the Dutch Reformed Church in the village of Bedum, Groningen, where a certain Rykle Opbroek was mentioned in 1642. Another early reference is from the town of Leeuwarden in Friesland, where a Jan Opbroek was listed as a property owner in 1657.
The OPBROEK surname has also been connected to several place names in the Netherlands, particularly the hamlet of Opbroek in the municipality of Eemsdelta, Groningen. This small settlement was originally known as "Opbroek-ter-Muntendam" or "Opbroek near Muntendam," suggesting that the name was derived from the geographic location.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the OPBROEK surname. One of the earliest was Pieter Opbroek (1595-1668), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who was involved in the early Dutch settlements in the Americas. Another prominent figure was Johannes Opbroek (1748-1824), a Dutch Reformed minister and theologian who served as the pastor of the Westerkerk in Amsterdam.
In the 19th century, Gerrit Opbroek (1815-1892) gained recognition as a Dutch landscape painter, known for his depictions of rural scenes and farm life. His contemporary, Pieter Opbroek (1823-1899), was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Opbroek Foundation for the education of underprivileged children in the city of Groningen.
More recently, Jaap Opbroek (1919-2002) was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II and later served as a member of the Dutch Parliament for the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
While the OPBROEK surname has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and settlement in other countries. However, the name remains closely tied to its Dutch heritage and the historical significance of its origins in the northern provinces of the Netherlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opbroek
Among Census respondents with the surname Opbroek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Opbroek 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 Opbroek surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opbroek
Opbroek 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-21 bearers (-16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,918 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.2%) | Down 27,918 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 3,957 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 Opbroek 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 | #150,452 | #146,495 | 2.6% |
| Count | 109 | 114 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opbroek bearers went from 109 to 114 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 3,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #146,495.
FAQ
Opbroek surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opbroek?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Opbroek. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Opbroek?
Opbroek ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Opbroek. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Opbroek.
Has Opbroek become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opbroek went from 109 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 5 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Opbroek?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opbroek, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Opbroek in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opbroek appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Opbroek (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 Opbroek mean?
A Dutch surname meaning "on/upon the pants" or referring to living on the edge. 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 Opbroek (0.04 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 have the surname Opbroek?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.