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

Ortmeier, 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 Ortmeier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ortmeier in America

Ortmeier is the 54178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ortmeier surname appeared 381 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 Ortmeier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ortmeier 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 Ortmeier

The surname Ortmeier has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the country, particularly in the areas around Lower Saxony and Westphalia. The name is derived from the Old German words "ort," meaning "place or location," and "meier," which refers to a steward or overseer of an estate or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that documents land transactions and property ownership in the region of Westphalia. This manuscript mentions an individual named Henricus Ortmeier, who was likely a landowner or a steward responsible for managing agricultural lands.

Throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period, the name Ortmeier was primarily associated with rural communities and agricultural estates. It was not uncommon for members of the same family to adopt variations of the name based on the specific location or estate they were associated with, leading to spellings such as Ortmeyer, Ortmair, or Ortmaier.

One notable figure bearing the surname Ortmeier was Johann Ortmeier (1516-1592), a Protestant theologian and reformer from the city of Essen. He played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation in the Rhineland region and was known for his treatises on religious doctrine and his efforts to establish Protestant churches.

Another individual of historical significance was Wilhelm Ortmeier (1802-1879), a German industrialist and businessman from the city of Dortmund. He was a pioneer in the coal mining industry and played a pivotal role in the industrialization of the Ruhr region, which was a major center of economic growth in the 19th century.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ortmeier surname began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds in northern Germany, as families migrated to other parts of the country and even to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Notable individuals from this period include:

1. Friedrich Ortmeier (1720-1789), a composer and organist from the city of Hamburg, who is credited with several sacred works and organ compositions.

2. Anna Ortmeier (1817-1892), a philanthropist and social reformer from Bavaria, who established several charitable institutions and advocated for the education of women and children.

3. Karl Ortmeier (1848-1921), a German-American architect and urban planner who worked in Chicago and was responsible for designing several notable buildings and public spaces in the city.

4. Maximilian Ortmeier (1876-1947), an Austrian-born American artist and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits depicting scenes from the American West.

5. Helene Ortmeier (1893-1976), a German physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and was one of the first women to hold a professorship at a German university.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ortmeier

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

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

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

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