NameCensus.

UK surname

Oppenheim

A German toponymic surname for someone from Oppenheim, a town in Germany.

In the 1881 census there were 116 people recorded with the Oppenheim surname, ranking it #18,126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, down from #18,126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Margaret Westminster and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Camden, Kensington and Chelsea and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oppenheim is 162 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

116

Ranked #18,126

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

1911

162 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oppenheim had 116 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Oppenheim surname distribution map

The map shows where the Oppenheim surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Oppenheim surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oppenheim over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 42 #25,706
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 116 #18,126
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 158 #17,507
1911 historical 162 #17,003
1997 modern 130 #23,021
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 133 #23,462
2001 modern 131 #23,343
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 138 #22,823
2004 modern 131 #23,756
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 123 #24,873
2007 modern 129 #24,503
2008 modern 132 #24,476
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 147 #23,809
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 136 #24,830
2013 modern 146 #24,107
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 155 #23,194
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Oppenheims are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Margaret Westminster, Paddington, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Halton and Windsor and Maidenhead. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 St Margaret Westminster London (West Districts)
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Camden 004 Camden
2 Kensington and Chelsea 019 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Halton 012 Halton
4 Windsor and Maidenhead 001 Windsor and Maidenhead
5 Windsor and Maidenhead 008 Windsor and Maidenhead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oppenheim

These lists show first names that appear often with the Oppenheim surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oppenheim

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oppenheim, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Oppenheim surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Oppenheim household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Oppenheim is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Oppenheim is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Oppenheim falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oppenheim is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Oppenheim, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Oppenheim

The surname Oppenheim originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the town of Oppenheim, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. The name is thought to have originated from the Old High German words "ob," meaning "above," and "heim," meaning "home" or "settlement," suggesting a settlement situated on higher ground.

Oppenheim was first mentioned in historical records in 765 AD, during the reign of Charlemagne. The town played a significant role in the history of the region, being a free imperial city and a member of the Rhenish League of Cities. This influential status likely contributed to the spread of the Oppenheim surname as people from the town migrated to other areas.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johannes Oppenheim, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his writings on canon law and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.

In the 16th century, Matthias Oppenheim (1502-1586) was a renowned German physician and botanist. He is credited with introducing the use of antimony in medicine and authored several influential works on medical treatments and herbal remedies.

Johann Oppenheim (1767-1832) was a German jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge and professor of law at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on legal theory and practice were widely influential in the early 19th century.

Max Oppenheim (1860-1946) was a notable German archaeologist and explorer. He led several expeditions to the Middle East and was instrumental in the discovery and excavation of ancient sites in present-day Iraq and Syria.

In the 20th century, Lise Oppenheim (1900-1977) was a German-American psychoanalyst and one of the earliest practitioners of child psychoanalysis. She made significant contributions to the field of child psychology and the study of childhood development.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Oppenheim throughout history, reflecting its German origins and the diverse fields in which bearers of this name have made their mark.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oppenheim families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oppenheim surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 58 Oppenheims recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.08x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 58 5.08x
Lancashire 19 1.40x
Surrey 9 1.62x
Cornwall 8 6.19x
Yorkshire 5 0.44x
Kent 3 0.77x
Leicestershire 3 2.37x
Berkshire 2 2.34x
Northamptonshire 2 1.86x
Northumberland 2 1.18x
Bedfordshire 1 1.69x
Cumberland 1 1.02x
Gloucestershire 1 0.45x
Hampshire 1 0.43x
Lanarkshire 1 0.27x
Sussex 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 13 Oppenheims recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.75x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 13 11.75x
Paddington London 11 26.22x
Prescot 10 408.16x
Madron Penzance 8 170.21x
Hornsey 7 48.51x
Westminster St 7 166.27x
Lytham 6 289.86x
Lambeth 5 5.03x
Leeds 5 7.83x
Chiswick 4 64.10x
Mile End Old Town 4 22.21x
Bermondsey 3 8.83x
Chevening 3 714.29x
Knighton 3 422.54x
St Marylebone London 3 4.92x
Great Faringdon 2 162.60x
North Shields 2 59.00x
Northampton St Giles 2 48.90x
St Pancras London 2 2.18x
Sunbury 2 145.99x
Westminster St James 2 17.05x
Barony 1 1.07x
Brighton 1 2.58x
Caterham 1 40.65x
Farnborough 1 40.65x
Flimby 1 120.48x
Kensington London 1 1.58x
Moss Side 1 14.04x
Reddish 1 53.48x
Shefford 1 238.10x
St George Bloomsbury 1 15.27x
St George Hanover 1 6.72x
Stroud 1 22.94x
Toxteth Park 1 2.18x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Oppenheim surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Caroline 3
Henrietta 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Mary 2
Matilda 2
Sarah 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Adele 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Dulce 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Etty 1
Eve 1
F.A. 1
Frederica 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Goldye 1
Hannah 1
Isabelle 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Leah 1
Louise 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Rosalinda 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Rozetta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Oppenheim surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Henry 8
Edward 4
Frederick 3
Abraham 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Ernest 2
Jacob 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Abaham 1
Adolphus 1
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alx. 1
Cornelius 1
David 1
Eliazer 1
Ernst 1
George 1
Gilfird 1
Harry 1
Herbet 1
Isaac 1
Israel 1
James 1
John 1
Jos. 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Meyer 1
Michael 1
Paul 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Siegmund 1
Watkin 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Oppenheim surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oppenheim surname in 1881?

In 1881, 116 people were recorded with the Oppenheim surname. That placed it at #18,126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oppenheim surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Oppenheim a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Oppenheim surname mean?

A German toponymic surname for someone from Oppenheim, a town in Germany.

What does the Oppenheim map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oppenheim bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.