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

Opsal, 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 Opsal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Opsal in America

Opsal is the 42308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Opsal surname appeared 513 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 Opsal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Opsal 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 Opsal

The surname Opsal has its origins in Norway, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "op," meaning "up," and "salr," meaning "hall" or "dwelling." This suggests that the name likely referred to a farm or homestead located on higher ground or a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Opsal can be found in the medieval Icelandic manuscript, the Flateyjarbók, which mentions an individual named Eirik Opsal who lived in the late 12th century. This manuscript provides insight into the long-standing history of the name in the Nordic regions.

During the Middle Ages, the name Opsal appeared in various Norwegian records and documents, often associated with landowners or prominent families in rural areas. For example, the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval diplomas and documents, includes references to individuals with the surname Opsal as early as the 14th century.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Hans Opsal (1616-1690), a Norwegian farmer and landowner from Gausdal, Oppland. He played a significant role in local affairs and was highly respected in his community.

Another prominent figure with the surname Opsal was Kristoffer Opsal (1767-1835), a Norwegian poet and playwright from Trondheim. His works, including plays and poetry collections, contributed to the literary landscape of Norway during the Romantic period.

In the 19th century, the name Opsal was associated with several notable individuals, such as Hans Opsal (1821-1895), a Norwegian farmer and politician who served in the Storting, the Norwegian parliament, representing the district of Nordre Trondhjems Amt.

Towards the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Opsal began to spread beyond Norway as Norwegian immigrants settled in various parts of the world, particularly in the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this period was Olav Opsal (1877-1957), a Norwegian-American Lutheran minister and author who served as the president of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, from 1917 to 1942.

The surname Opsal has a rich history rooted in Norway, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the Middle Ages. While its geographic distribution expanded in more recent times due to immigration, the name remains closely tied to its Norse origins and the rural landscapes of Norway.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Opsal

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

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

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

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