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

Oppenheim, 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 Oppenheim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oppenheim in America

Oppenheim is the 16125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oppenheim surname appeared 1,795 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Oppenheim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oppenheim 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 Oppenheim

The surname Oppenheim originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the town of Oppenheim, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. The name is thought to have originated from the Old High German words "ob," meaning "above," and "heim," meaning "home" or "settlement," suggesting a settlement situated on higher ground.

Oppenheim was first mentioned in historical records in 765 AD, during the reign of Charlemagne. The town played a significant role in the history of the region, being a free imperial city and a member of the Rhenish League of Cities. This influential status likely contributed to the spread of the Oppenheim surname as people from the town migrated to other areas.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johannes Oppenheim, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his writings on canon law and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.

In the 16th century, Matthias Oppenheim (1502-1586) was a renowned German physician and botanist. He is credited with introducing the use of antimony in medicine and authored several influential works on medical treatments and herbal remedies.

Johann Oppenheim (1767-1832) was a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge and professor of law at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on legal theory and practice were widely influential in the early 19th century.

Max Oppenheim (1860-1946) was a notable German archaeologist and explorer. He led several expeditions to the Middle East and was instrumental in the discovery and excavation of ancient sites in present-day Iraq and Syria.

In the 20th century, Lise Oppenheim (1900-1977) was a German-American psychoanalyst and one of the earliest practitioners of child psychoanalysis. She made significant contributions to the field of child psychology and the study of childhood development.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Oppenheim throughout history, reflecting its German origins and the diverse fields in which bearers of this name have made their mark.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oppenheim

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

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

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

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