2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Opfermann
A German surname derived from the occupation of one who made offerings or sacrifices.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Opfermann. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Opfermann 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Opfermann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Opfermann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Opfermann
The surname Opfermann is of German origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "opfer," which means "sacrifice" or "offering." The name was likely given to individuals who lived near a place of worship or were involved in religious ceremonies or rituals that involved offerings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Opfermann can be found in the town of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany, in the late 1500s. The name was also present in the nearby regions of Hanover and Brunswick during this time period.
In the 17th century, the surname Opfermann appeared in various church records and historical documents throughout northern Germany. One notable example is the baptismal record of Johann Opfermann, born in 1623 in the town of Goslar, Lower Saxony.
During the 18th century, the surname Opfermann spread to other parts of Germany, with records indicating families with this name residing in cities such as Berlin and Hamburg. One prominent individual was Friedrich Opfermann, a merchant and ship owner from Hamburg, who lived from 1732 to 1798.
As the 19th century progressed, the surname Opfermann continued to be found across Germany, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable bearer of this name was Karl Opfermann, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1819 to 1876.
Other notable individuals with the surname Opfermann throughout history include:
1. Heinrich Opfermann (1860-1932), a German sculptor and artist.
2. Erich Opfermann (1887-1945), a German actor and film director during the early 20th century.
3. Gerhard Opfermann (1901-1977), a German politician and member of the Nazi Party during World War II.
4. Ingrid Opfermann (born 1935), a German swimmer who competed in the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics.
5. Jürgen Opfermann (born 1956), a German former professional football player and coach.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Opfermann
Among Census respondents with the surname Opfermann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Opfermann 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 Opfermann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 11
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Opfermann
Opfermann 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,384 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,638 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 3,384 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,638 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 Opfermann 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 | #149,395 | #145,757 | 2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 115 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Opfermann bearers went from 110 to 115 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,638 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,757.
FAQ
Opfermann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Opfermann?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Opfermann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Opfermann?
Opfermann ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Opfermann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Opfermann.
Has Opfermann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Opfermann went from 110 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Opfermann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Opfermann, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Opfermann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Opfermann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Opfermann (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 Opfermann mean?
A German surname derived from the occupation of one who made offerings or sacrifices. 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 Opfermann (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 share the surname Opfermann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.