NameCensus.

UK surname

Opperman

An occupational surname for a fruit farmer or a person who tended or harvested fruit.

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Opperman surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire, Powys and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Opperman is 140 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 231.6%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

2010

140 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Opperman had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 40 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Opperman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Opperman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Opperman 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 40 #31,174
1901 historical 29 #30,848
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 76 #29,997
1998 modern 86 #29,343
1999 modern 85 #29,578
2000 modern 83 #29,809
2001 modern 89 #28,932
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 120 #25,606
2008 modern 122 #25,638
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 140 #24,569
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Oppermans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire, Powys, Wiltshire, South Holland and Thanet. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 032 Central Bedfordshire
2 Powys 004 Powys
3 Wiltshire 005 Wiltshire
4 South Holland 005 South Holland
5 Thanet 002 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Opperman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Opperman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Opperman, 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 Opperman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Opperman 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, Opperman 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

Opperman 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

Opperman falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Opperman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Opperman

The surname Opperman originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Opfermann," which means "sacrificial man" or "one who makes sacrifices." The name likely had religious connotations, possibly referring to someone who worked as a sacristan or performed duties related to religious rituals and sacrifices.

In the early 1600s, the surname Opperman began appearing in various records and documents across German-speaking regions. One of the earliest known references is found in a parish register from the town of Mühlhausen, dated 1612, which mentions a Johann Opperman.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Opperman name spread across different parts of Germany, particularly in regions such as Saxony, Bavaria, and Westphalia. Several variations in spelling also emerged, including Oppermann, Opfermann, and Opferman.

One notable figure with the Opperman surname was Johann Opperman (1689-1759), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the city of Ulm. His works included commentaries on biblical texts and sermons on various religious topics.

In the 19th century, the Opperman name began appearing in records outside of Germany, as families immigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. For instance, Charles Opperman (1828-1907) was a French-born American businessman who co-founded the National Biscuit Company, later known as Nabisco.

Another significant figure was Wilhelm Opperman (1855-1933), a German-born architect who emigrated to the United States and was responsible for designing several notable buildings in New York City, including the former Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank building on Chambers Street.

In the Netherlands, the Opperman family can be traced back to the early 1700s, with records showing a Hans Opperman living in the town of Zwolle in 1712.

Other notable individuals with the Opperman surname include Ernst Opperman (1861-1929), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, and Dolf Opperman (1910-1985), a South African cyclist who won several prestigious events, including the Tour de France in 1928.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Opperman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Opperman 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 17 Oppermans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.59x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 17 4.59x
Kent 6 4.75x
Warwickshire 6 6.42x
Oxfordshire 5 21.85x
Yorkshire 2 0.54x
Hertfordshire 1 3.92x
Sussex 1 1.60x

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 6 Oppermans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.71x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 6 16.71x
Leamington Priors 6 260.87x
Lewisham 6 89.02x
Henley On Thames 5 1063.83x
St George Hanover 5 103.31x
St Pancras London 3 10.06x
Manningham 2 44.25x
Chipping Barnet 1 222.22x
Eastbourne 1 34.84x
Hammersmith London 1 10.95x
Paddington London 1 7.34x
St Marylebone London 1 5.06x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 3
William 3
Adolphus 2
Henry 2
John 2
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Mority 1
Percival 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Opperman households.

FAQ

Opperman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Opperman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Opperman surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Opperman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Opperman a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Opperman surname mean?

An occupational surname for a fruit farmer or a person who tended or harvested fruit.

What does the Opperman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Opperman 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.