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

Opher, 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 Opher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opher in America

Opher is the 81181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opher surname appeared 233 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 Opher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opher 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 Opher

The surname OPHER has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pher" or "fer," which meant "traveler" or "wanderer." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to individuals who were travelers, merchants, or explorers.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name OPHER comes from the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which contain a reference to a person named William Opher. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list a John Opher from Gloucestershire. These early records indicate that the name was already established in various parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name OPHER appeared in various forms, such as Ofre, Offere, and Offur, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time. One notable bearer of this name was Sir John Opher, who was born in 1320 and served as a knight in the service of King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name OPHER continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1524 mention a Thomas Opher from Somerset, while the Protestation Returns of 1642 list a Robert Opher from Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the OPHER name gained further prominence with the birth of James Opher (1734-1803), a renowned English playwright and poet. His works, including the tragedy "The Persians" and the comedy "The Jealous Wife," were highly acclaimed in their time.

Another notable figure with the OPHER surname was Sir William Opher (1764-1843), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his bravery and leadership in several naval engagements.

Throughout the 19th century, the OPHER surname continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable bearer was John Opher (1821-1895), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire, who founded the Opher Textile Mills and supported numerous charitable causes in his community.

As the OPHER surname spread across England and beyond, it also evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Ophar, Offar, and Offher. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Old English heritage, reflecting the lives of travelers and explorers from bygone eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opher

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Opher, 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!