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

Oppe, 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 Oppe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oppe in America

Oppe is the 150452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oppe surname appeared 109 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 Oppe.

The history of the last name Oppe

The surname Oppe is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It likely emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "oppe," which means "uncle" or "ancestor," suggesting that it may have initially been a descriptive nickname or a patronymic surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oppe can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. In this record, a person named Johannes Oppe is mentioned in a legal document from the year 1362.

In the 15th century, there are records of the Oppe family residing in the town of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany. A notable member of this family was Hinrich Oppe, who was a respected merchant and member of the city council in the late 1400s.

As the name spread throughout Germany, it also took on various spellings and regional variations, such as Oppel, Oppelt, and Oppermann. These variations often reflected the local dialects and pronunciation patterns in different regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name outside of Germany was Laurentius Oppe, a Dutch scholar and theologian who lived from 1520 to 1585. He was born in the city of Groningen and later became a professor at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

Another notable figure with the surname Oppe was Johann Adam Oppe, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1728 to 1803. He was born in the city of Nuremberg and is known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted scenes from the Bible and classical mythology.

In the 19th century, the Oppe surname gained prominence in the field of medicine with the German physician and surgeon Johann Friedrich Oppe, who lived from 1805 to 1875. He made significant contributions to the study of orthopedics and was one of the pioneers in the treatment of scoliosis and other spinal deformities.

The name Oppe has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Germany, such as the village of Oppendorf in Saxony-Anhalt and the town of Oppeln (now Opole) in the historical region of Silesia, which was once part of Prussia and is now located in Poland.

While the surname Oppe is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oppe

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

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 Oppe 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.

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

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

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