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

Oyer, 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 Oyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oyer in America

Oyer is the 13214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oyer surname appeared 2,313 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 Oyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oyer 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 Oyer

The surname OYER is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "oyer," which means "to hear" or "to listen." This name is thought to have originated in the 12th century and was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked as court ushers or criers, responsible for announcing the arrival of officials or calling people to order.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OYER can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Robertus le Oyer, indicating the presence of the name in Normandy before the Norman Conquest of England.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Oieur, Oyeur, and Oyour, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. One notable figure from this period was Jean Oyer, a merchant and landowner from Rouen, France, who lived around 1250.

The OYER surname can also be traced back to certain place names, such as Oyer in the Haute-Saône department of France, which may have contributed to the development of the name as a locational surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the OYER surname. One such figure was Jacques Oyer (1546-1623), a French philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. Another was Pierre Oyer (1671-1742), a French painter known for his religious works and portraits.

In England, the name OYER is found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mention a Robert le Oyer from Cambridgeshire. Later on, in the 16th century, William Oyer (1518-1592) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of London.

The OYER surname also has connections to the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Thomas Oyer, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738. Another notable American figure was Nathaniel Oyer (1785-1858), a businessman and politician from Pennsylvania who served in the United States House of Representatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oyer

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

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

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

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