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

Overholtzer, 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 Overholtzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overholtzer in America

Overholtzer is the 54637th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overholtzer surname appeared 377 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 Overholtzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Overholtzer 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 Overholtzer

The surname Overholtzer originated in Germany and is believed to have derived from the German words "ober" meaning "upper" and "holz" meaning "forest" or "wood." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near or worked in an upper forest area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 16th century in various German regions, with variations in spelling such as Oberholtzer, Oberholzer, and Overholtzer. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Overholtzer, born in 1582 in Württemberg, Germany.

In the 17th century, some members of the Overholtzer family migrated to Pennsylvania, United States, as part of the German Palatine migration. Jacob Overholtzer, born in 1674 in Oberholzen, Germany, is considered one of the earliest Overholtzers to settle in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Overholtzer name appeared in various historical records and documents in both Germany and the United States. Notable individuals bearing the name include Martin Overholtzer (1720-1795), a Pennsylvania Dutch farmer and landowner, and John Overholtzer (1809-1873), a prominent businessman and politician in Ohio.

Other notable Overholtzers include:

1. Jacob Overholtzer (1759-1846), a Mennonite minister and farmer in Pennsylvania.
2. Samuel Overholtzer (1817-1897), a Civil War veteran and member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature.
3. Amos Overholtzer (1832-1900), a theologian and educator who served as the president of Juniata College in Pennsylvania.
4. John P. Overholtzer (1865-1931), a businessman and philanthropist in California.
5. Charles Overholtzer (1889-1962), a journalist and author who served as the editor of the Los Angeles Times.

While the Overholtzer name has its roots in Germany, it has also been found in other countries where German immigrants settled, such as Canada and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overholtzer

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

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

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

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