2000
#5,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Rare Last name
Overby
Derived from a place name meaning "upper village" or "over the town" in Old Norse or Old Danish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,801 Americans carry the last name Overby. That puts it at #5,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,398 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Overby surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,398
Census rank
#5,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,931 bearers of the surname Overby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Overby, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Overby
The surname Overby has its origins in the Scandinavian countries, particularly in Norway and Denmark. It is believed to have emerged around the 11th or 12th century as a locational name, referring to a place or settlement known as "Overby" or a similar variation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Overby can be found in the Norwegian census records from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Ovrebi." This spelling suggests that the name may have originated from the Old Norse words "yfri" meaning "upper" and "by" meaning "village" or "settlement."
During the medieval period, the name Overby was predominantly concentrated in the coastal regions of Norway and Denmark. It is possible that some individuals bearing this surname may have been involved in maritime activities or fishing communities located near the upper villages or settlements.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Overby (c. 1420-1489) was a prominent merchant and ship owner based in the city of Bergen, Norway. His successful trading ventures and contributions to the local economy helped establish the Overby name as a respected mercantile family in the region.
Another historical reference to the name Overby can be found in the Danish chronicles from the 16th century, where a nobleman named Jørgen Overby (c. 1525-1592) is mentioned as a trusted advisor to King Frederik II. Overby's diplomatic skills and counsel were highly valued by the Danish monarch during his reign.
As the centuries progressed, the Overby surname spread beyond Scandinavia, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable individual was Carl Overby (1789-1868), a Swedish-born explorer and adventurer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.
Another prominent figure with the Overby surname was Kathrine Overby (1864-1935), a Norwegian-American educator and activist who played a significant role in establishing Norwegian-language schools and promoting cultural preservation among Norwegian immigrants in the United States.
The Overby name has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature. For example, Ingrid Overby (1908-1991) was a renowned Danish sculptor and ceramist whose works are exhibited in numerous galleries and museums around the world.
While the Overby surname may have evolved and spread across different regions over time, its origins can be traced back to the Viking-era settlements and coastal communities of Scandinavia, where it likely originated as a locational name describing an "upper village" or elevated settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Overby
Among Census respondents with the surname Overby, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Overby bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Overby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 4,857
- Black or African American11.7% · 695
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 168
- Two or more races2.7% · 160
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Overby
Overby appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,311
-43 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 2.14
Rank movement Down 449 places
2020
#5,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,931
-380 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,063 | 6,354 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,512 | 6,311 | 2.14 | -43 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 449 places |
| 2020 | #5,640 | 5,931 | 1.98 | -380 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 128 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Overby surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,512 | #5,640 | -2.3% |
| Count | 6,311 | 5,931 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.14 | 1.98 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Overby bearers went from 6,311 to 5,931 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,512 to #5,640.
FAQ
Overby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Overby?
Name Census estimates that about 6,801 living Americans carry the surname Overby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,398 residents.
How common is Overby?
Overby ranks #5,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,931 people with the surname Overby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Overby.
Has Overby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Overby went from 6,311 recorded bearers to 5,931. That is a decrease of 380 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,512 to #5,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Overby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Overby, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Overby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (4,857 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Overby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (11.7%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Overby (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Overby mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "upper village" or "over the town" in Old Norse or Old Danish. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Overby (1.98 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Overby?
You can see how common the surname Overby is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.