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

Opfar, 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 Opfar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opfar in America

Opfar is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opfar surname appeared 126 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 Opfar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opfar 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 Opfar

The surname OPFAR has its origins in the remote regions of northern Norway, tracing back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to derive from the Old Norse word "opfar," meaning "to ascend" or "to climb," likely referring to the rugged, mountainous terrain where the name originated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OPFAR name can be found in the Gulating Law, a medieval Norwegian legal code from the early 13th century. The law mentions an individual named Olav Opfar, who was involved in a land dispute near the present-day town of Ålesund.

During the Viking Age, several OPFAR families were known to have settled in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago situated between Norway and Iceland. The name appears in various medieval Faroese records, including the Færeyinga Saga, a historical narrative from the 13th century.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Torbjørn Opfar (1562-1631) gained prominence as a skilled shipwright and navigator. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Lofoten Islands as a major center for cod fishing and maritime trade in northern Norway.

Another prominent OPFAR was Ingrid Opfar (1790-1867), a renowned folk singer and storyteller from the Setesdal region of southern Norway. Her repertoire of traditional ballads and tales has been extensively documented and preserved, providing valuable insights into Norwegian cultural heritage.

During the 19th century, the OPFAR name began to spread beyond Norway's borders as individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Hans Opfar (1823-1902), who settled in the United States and became a respected farmer and community leader in Wisconsin.

Other notable figures bearing the OPFAR surname include:

1. Sigrid Opfar (1875-1949), a Norwegian author and suffragette who campaigned for women's rights and social reforms.
2. Bjørn Opfar (1912-1998), a Norwegian military officer who served with distinction during World War II and later became a respected diplomat.
3. Elin Opfar (1938-2021), a celebrated Norwegian artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings and sculptural works.
4. Knut Opfar (1962-present), a renowned Norwegian architect who has designed several award-winning buildings and urban development projects.
5. Kristian Opfar (1984-present), a professional cross-country skier who has represented Norway in multiple Olympic Games and World Championships.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opfar

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!