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

Overholser, 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 Overholser surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overholser in America

Overholser is the 21926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overholser surname appeared 1,184 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 Overholser.

We can also compare 2010 data for Overholser 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 Overholser

The surname Overholser is believed to have originated in Germany, where it was originally spelled as "Oberhölzer" or "Oberholzer." The name likely dates back to the medieval period and is thought to be derived from the German word "Oberholz," which translates to "upper forest" or "upper woods." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by someone who lived near or worked in an area surrounded by forests or woodlands.

In some historical records, the name appears to have been spelled in various ways, such as "Overholzer," "Oberholzer," and "Overholzer." These variations could be attributed to regional dialects, transcription errors, or the gradual evolution of the name over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Overholser name can be found in the 16th century, when a certain Hans Oberholzer was mentioned in a German census record from the year 1542. Another notable mention is that of Johann Oberholzer, a German farmer and landowner who lived in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name appears to have spread beyond Germany, with records indicating individuals bearing the Overholser name in other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this period was Peter Overholser (1745-1821), a Swiss-born farmer and entrepreneur who emigrated to the United States in the late 18th century and settled in Pennsylvania.

As the name continued to spread and evolve, it gained recognition in various fields. For instance, in the 19th century, there was John Overholser (1814-1889), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Another prominent individual with the Overholser surname was Henry Overholser (1836-1917), an American businessman and real estate developer who played a significant role in the growth and development of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The city's Overholser Theater, which opened in 1904, was named in his honor.

In more recent times, one noteworthy figure was Marvin Overholser (1908-1989), an American psychologist and educator who served as the president of the American Psychological Association in 1966.

While the Overholser name has its roots in Germany, it has since been found in various parts of the world, including North America, where it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history associated with this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overholser

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!