2000
#8,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,386
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Oyler
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold oil or oil lamps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,854 Americans carry the last name Oyler. That puts it at #9,290 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oyler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Oyler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,935
Census rank
#9,290
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,361 bearers of the surname Oyler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9290th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oyler
The surname Oyler is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "Öler," which referred to individuals involved in the production or trade of oils, such as olive oil or other plant-based oils.
One of the earliest known mentions of the Oyler surname can be found in the records of the town of Heidelberg, where an individual named Hans Oyler was documented as a resident in the year 1572. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the Oyler surname began to appear in various German-speaking regions, including parts of modern-day Switzerland and Austria. It is likely that some individuals bearing this name migrated to these areas during this period, possibly seeking new opportunities or fleeing religious persecution.
During the 18th century, records show that the Oyler surname had spread to other parts of Europe, with notable individuals including Johann Oyler, a prominent merchant from Hamburg, who was born in 1712 and died in 1785.
As the 19th century dawned, the Oyler surname began to appear in the United States, with many German immigrants bearing this name arriving in the country during the great waves of immigration in the mid-to-late 1800s. One notable American with this surname was William Oyler, a Civil War veteran who fought for the Union Army and was born in 1842 in Pennsylvania.
Another significant figure in the history of the Oyler surname was Friedrich Oyler, a German-born artist and painter who lived from 1842 to 1917 and was known for his landscape and portrait works. His artwork can be found in various galleries and museums throughout Europe.
Other notable individuals with the Oyler surname include Johann Oyler, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1678 to 1744, and Hans Oyler, a 16th-century Swiss clockmaker and inventor born in 1542 in Basel.
While the Oyler surname has its roots in Germany and was initially associated with the trade of oils, it has since spread to various parts of the world and become associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oyler
Among Census respondents with the surname Oyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Oyler 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 Oyler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 3,089
- Two or more races3.7% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oyler
Oyler 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
#9,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
+107 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 429 places
2020
#9,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,361
-132 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,891 | 3,386 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,320 | 3,493 | 1.18 | +107 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 429 places |
| 2020 | #9,290 | 3,361 | 1.12 | -132 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 30 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 Oyler 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 | #9,320 | #9,290 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,493 | 3,361 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.12 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oyler bearers went from 3,493 to 3,361 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,320 to #9,290.
FAQ
Oyler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oyler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,854 living Americans carry the surname Oyler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,935 residents.
How common is Oyler?
Oyler ranks #9,290 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,361 people with the surname Oyler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,854), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Oyler.
Has Oyler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oyler went from 3,493 recorded bearers to 3,361. That is a decrease of 132 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,320 to #9,290.
What does the Census say about the background of Oyler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Oyler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (3,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oyler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Oyler (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 Oyler mean?
An English occupational surname for a person who made or sold oil or oil lamps. 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 Oyler (1.12 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 many people are called Oyler?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Oyler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.