2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Overholtz
A German locational surname meaning "over the wood" or "living beyond the woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Overholtz. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Overholtz 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Overholtz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Overholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Overholtz
The surname Overholtz is of German origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is derived from the German words "über" meaning "over" and "holz" meaning "forest" or "wood," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near or beyond a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Overholtz name can be found in the town records of Wittenberg, Germany, from the early 1600s. The name was spelled in various ways during this time, including Overholtz, Overholz, and Überhöltz.
In the late 17th century, a man named Johannes Overholtz was recorded as a landowner in the village of Ober-Ramstadt, near Frankfurt. He is believed to be one of the earliest known bearers of the Overholtz surname.
As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, it also found its way into historical records in neighboring countries. In the 18th century, several Overholtz families were documented in the Netherlands, particularly in the province of Friesland.
One notable individual with the Overholtz surname was Friedrich Overholtz (1758-1826), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Göttingen. His writings on ethics and moral philosophy were influential during the Enlightenment period.
Another prominent figure was Johann Overholtz (1802-1871), a German-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the mid-19th century. He was instrumental in the city's growth and development during that era.
In the late 19th century, a man named Wilhelm Overholtz (1844-1918) emigrated from Germany to the United States, where he became a successful farmer and landowner in the state of Wisconsin. His descendants continued to use the Overholtz surname in the Midwest.
A notable American woman with the Overholtz name was Mary Overholtz (1877-1964), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded the first kindergarten in the state of Montana and campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women and girls.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Hans Overholtz (1901-1978), a German-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his avant-garde works in the post-World War II era. His sculptures and installations were exhibited in galleries and museums across Europe and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Overholtz
Among Census respondents with the surname Overholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Overholtz 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 Overholtz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Overholtz
Overholtz 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,744 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,744 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 107 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 Overholtz 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 | #151,532 | #151,639 | -0.1% |
| Count | 108 | 107 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Overholtz bearers went from 108 to 107 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #151,639.
FAQ
Overholtz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Overholtz?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Overholtz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Overholtz?
Overholtz ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Overholtz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Overholtz.
Has Overholtz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Overholtz went from 108 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Overholtz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Overholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Overholtz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Overholtz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Overholtz (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 Overholtz mean?
A German locational surname meaning "over the wood" or "living beyond the woods". 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 Overholtz (0.04 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 Overholtz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Overholtz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.