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

Overzet, 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 Overzet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Overzet in America

Overzet is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Overzet surname appeared 101 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 Overzet.

The history of the last name Overzet

The surname "OVERZET" is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "over" meaning "across" and "zet" meaning "to set" or "to place". The name likely referred to someone who lived across a waterway or near a ferry crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Dutch village of Zaltbommel, where a man named Gerrit Overzet was listed as a ferryman in the town records from 1562. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who operated a ferry service.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in various legal documents and municipal records across the Netherlands, particularly in the provinces of Utrecht and Gelderland. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Pieter Overzet, a merchant from Utrecht who was born in 1621, and Jan Overzet, a farmer from Gelderland who lived from 1648 to 1723.

During the Dutch Golden Age, the Overzet family established a presence in the city of Amsterdam, where they were involved in the shipping and trading industries. One notable member was Dirk Overzet, a ship captain who was born in 1675 and sailed extensively throughout the Dutch East Indies.

In the 18th century, the surname spread beyond the Netherlands as Dutch settlers emigrated to other parts of the world. In South Africa, for instance, there are records of an Adriaan Overzet who was born in Cape Town in 1742 and worked as a vintner.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johannes Overzet, a Dutch painter who was born in 1748 and is known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the Netherlands and the Dutch colonies in the East Indies.

Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Overzedt, Oversett, and Overzeth, reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained largely unchanged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Overzet

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

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 Overzet 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.

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

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

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