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

Opperman, 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 Opperman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opperman in America

Opperman is the 11899th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opperman surname appeared 2,631 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 Opperman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opperman 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 Opperman

The surname Opperman originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Opfermann," which means "sacrificial man" or "one who makes sacrifices." The name likely had religious connotations, possibly referring to someone who worked as a sacristan or performed duties related to religious rituals and sacrifices.

In the early 1600s, the surname Opperman began appearing in various records and documents across German-speaking regions. One of the earliest known references is found in a parish register from the town of Mühlhausen, dated 1612, which mentions a Johann Opperman.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Opperman name spread across different parts of Germany, particularly in regions such as Saxony, Bavaria, and Westphalia. Several variations in spelling also emerged, including Oppermann, Opfermann, and Opferman.

One notable figure with the Opperman surname was Johann Opperman (1689-1759), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Ulm. His works included commentaries on biblical texts and sermons on various religious topics.

In the 19th century, the Opperman name began appearing in records outside of Germany, as families immigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, Charles Opperman (1828-1907) was a French-born American businessman who co-founded the National Biscuit Company, later known as Nabisco.

Another significant figure was Wilhelm Opperman (1855-1933), a German-born architect who emigrated to the United States and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in New York City, including the former Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank building on Chambers Street.

In the Netherlands, the Opperman family can be traced back to the early 1700s, with records showing a Hans Opperman living in the town of Zwolle in 1712.

Other notable individuals with the Opperman surname include Ernst Opperman (1861-1929), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, and Dolf Opperman (1910-1985), a South African cyclist who won several prestigious events, including the Tour de France in 1928.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opperman

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

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

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

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