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

Overbee, 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 Overbee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overbee in America

Overbee is the 73911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overbee surname appeared 262 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 Overbee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Overbee 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 Overbee

The surname "OVERBEE" is believed to have originated in England during the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ofer" meaning "over" and "beo" meaning "bee". Thus, the name likely referred to a person who lived near a beehive or kept bees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mentions a "Robertus Overbee" living in the village of Bingley. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 also list a "Johannes Overbee" in the town of Wakefield.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Overbey" and "Overby", reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. The Pipe Rolls of 1377 mention a "Willelmus Overby" from Lincolnshire.

By the 15th century, the surname had spread to other parts of England. The Hearth Tax Returns of 1674 record a "Thomas Overbee" living in the parish of St. Giles, London. The name also appears in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the baptism of "Elizabeth Overbee" in 1692.

Notable individuals bearing this surname include:

1. Sir John Overbee (1568-1648), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
2. Reverend William Overbee (1627-1704), a Puritan minister and author from Lincolnshire.
3. Mary Overbee (1701-1783), a philanthropist and benefactor from Gloucestershire, known for her charitable works.
4. Captain Edward Overbee (1756-1826), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Richard Overbee (1813-1886), an English industrialist and founder of the Overbee Engineering Company in Birmingham.

While the name is relatively uncommon today, it has left its mark on various place names, such as Overbee Farm in Somerset and Overbee Lane in Yorkshire, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overbee

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

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

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

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