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

Overmyer, 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 Overmyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overmyer in America

Overmyer is the 14238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overmyer surname appeared 2,106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Overmyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Overmyer 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 Overmyer

The surname Overmyer is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in the areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Switzerland. The name likely dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

One theory suggests that the name Overmyer is derived from the old German words "über" meaning "over" and "mühle" meaning "mill." This could indicate that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or worked at a mill located on higher ground or an elevated location.

Another possibility is that the name is a variation of the German surname "Obermayer," which also has its roots in the words "ober" meaning "upper" and "mayer" referring to a tenant farmer or steward. In this case, the name may have been given to someone who lived or worked on an estate or farm situated on higher ground.

The earliest known recorded instances of the Overmyer surname can be found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries in German-speaking regions. One notable example is Hans Overmyer, a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Obermühle, near Freiburg im Breisgau, in the late 16th century.

Another early record is that of Johann Overmyer, a miller who lived in the town of Überlingen, on the shores of Lake Constance, in the early 17th century. The name "Überlingen" itself is derived from the German words "über" and "lingen," meaning "over the pastures," which further supports the connection between the Overmyer surname and its potential origins related to elevated locations or mills.

In the 18th century, the Overmyer family spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland, where a branch of the family settled in the canton of Bern. One notable member of this Swiss branch was Jakob Overmyer, a renowned clockmaker who lived in Bern in the late 18th century.

As the Overmyer family continued to grow and expand, some members eventually migrated to other parts of the world, including North America. One of the earliest recorded Overmyers in the United States was Johann Overmyer, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in the mid-18th century.

Throughout the centuries, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Overmyer, including:

1. Heinrich Overmyer (1823-1901), a German-American architect and builder who designed and constructed many prominent buildings in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. Edith Overmyer (1890-1972), an American artist and sculptor known for her work in the Art Deco style.
3. Robert Overmyer (1936-1996), an American film director and screenwriter best known for his work on the cult classic "Phantom of the Paradise."
4. Donna Overmyer (born 1954), an American businesswoman and entrepreneur who founded the successful retail chain "The Paper Store."
5. Michael Overmyer (born 1958), an American television writer and producer who has worked on acclaimed shows such as "The Wire" and "Treme."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overmyer

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

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

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

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