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

Opiela, 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 Opiela surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opiela in America

Opiela is the 45569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opiela surname appeared 469 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 Opiela.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opiela 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 Opiela

The surname OPIELA has its origins in Poland, where it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to derive from the Polish word "opielać," which means "to care for" or "to look after," suggesting that it may have originally referred to someone who worked as a caregiver or guardian.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name OPIELA can be found in the Polish town of Opole, which was once part of the historic region of Silesia. It is possible that the name is connected to this place name, as it was common for surnames to originate from the names of towns or villages where families resided.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Marcin OPIELA was mentioned in historical records as a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Krakow. He was said to have been involved in the trade of textiles and other goods, and his wealth and influence were significant enough to be documented by contemporary chroniclers.

Another individual of note was Jan OPIELA, a Polish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars during the early 19th century. He served under the command of Prince Józef Poniatowski and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

In the late 19th century, a Polish artist named Stanisław OPIELA gained recognition for his landscape paintings, which depicted the rural countryside and traditional village life of his homeland. His works are now held in several art museums and galleries throughout Poland.

Another notable figure with the surname OPIELA was Józef OPIELA, a Polish politician and lawyer who lived in the early 20th century. He served as a member of the Sejm (the Polish parliament) and was actively involved in the struggle for Polish independence during the partitions of Poland.

Throughout the centuries, the OPIELA surname has maintained a presence in various regions of Poland, as well as in Polish communities abroad. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, the name continues to be carried by individuals of Polish descent, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history associated with this unique surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opiela

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

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

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