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

Ostermeyer, 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 Ostermeyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ostermeyer in America

Ostermeyer is the 52482nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ostermeyer surname appeared 395 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 Ostermeyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ostermeyer 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 Ostermeyer

The surname "Ostermeyer" is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from a place name that refers to an eastern farm or estate. The prefix "Oster" comes from the German word "Ost," meaning "east," while the suffix "meyer" is a variant of the German word "Meier," which means "steward" or "bailiff."

Ostermeyer is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Lower Saxony and Westphalia, where many place names with the "Oster" prefix can be found. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a mention of a family called "Ostermeyer" in a medieval document from the city of Bremen.

In the 14th century, a man named Johannes Ostermeyer was recorded as a prominent citizen and landowner in the town of Osnabrück. His descendants continued to use the surname, and it gradually spread to other parts of Germany.

During the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Ostermeyer (c. 1510-1578) was a respected merchant and member of the city council in Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany. His name appears in various trade records and municipal documents from that era.

Another historical figure with the surname Ostermeyer was Johann Ostermeyer (1624-1696), a renowned theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg. He wrote several influential works on Protestant theology and was highly regarded in academic circles during his time.

In the 18th century, a family of Ostermeyers settled in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, where they owned vineyards and were involved in the wine trade. One member of this family, Friedrich Ostermeyer (1758-1832), became a respected vintner and played a significant role in the development of the local wine industry.

As the Ostermeyer surname spread across Germany and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Ostermayer, Ostermair, and Ostermair. However, the original "Ostermeyer" spelling remained the most common form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ostermeyer

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

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

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

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