Explore the Family Name Oppenheim
The meaning of Oppenheim
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from a place on the Rhine, between Mainz and Worms, so named from an unexplained first element + Old High German heim ‘homestead’. There was an important Jewish settlement here before the Holocaust. Due to persistent persecution, members of the Oppenheim community were periodically forced to flee from their native city and hence the surnames Oppenheim and Oppenheimer became widespread throughout southern and western Germany. History: This is one of the old Ashkenazic surnames. In Eastern Europe, it was used by rabbinical families well before the mass adoption of surnames by local Jews at the turn of the 19th century. Some characteristic forenames: German Gerd, Kurt, Hedwig, Manfred, Erna, Heinz. Jewish Mendel, Naftaly, Oded, Shmuel, Shoshana, Shoshanah, Shulamith, Yitzchok.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Oppenheim in the United States?
According to data sourced from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Oppenheim has seen a slight decline in recent years. In 2000, Oppenheim was ranked the 14,658th most popular surname in the U.S. By 2010, it had slipped to 16,125th place, marking a 10.01% decrease in rank. This drop in rank corresponded with a 3.49% decrease in the absolute count of people bearing the Oppenheim surname, from 1,860 in 2000 to 1,795 in 2010. In terms of proportion per 100k individuals, the usage of Oppenheim also dipped by 11.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,658 | #16,125 | -10.01% |
| Count | 1,860 | 1,795 | -3.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.69 | 0.61 | -11.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Oppenheim
The ethnic identity associated with the Oppenheim surname has diversified over time, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. While a vast majority (94.99% in 2010, down from 96.02% in 2000) identify as White, other ethnic identities have seen growth. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation saw an increase of 48%, going from 0.75% in 2000 to 1.11% in 2010. Similarly, those identifying with two or more races witnessed a substantial growth rate of 65.43%, rising from 0.81% to 1.34%. The Hispanic component of the Oppenheim population grew by 29.46%, and Black representation saw an increase of 22.22%. However, the proportion identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 34.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.02% | 94.99% | -1.07% |
| Hispanic | 1.29% | 1.67% | 29.46% |
| Two or More Races | 0.81% | 1.34% | 65.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.75% | 1.11% | 48% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.86% | 0.56% | -34.88% |
| Black | 0.27% | 0.33% | 22.22% |
Oppenheim ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Oppenheim is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 52.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (20.0%) and French & German (15.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 52.6% |
| British & Irish | 20.0% |
| French & German | 15.0% |
| Other | 12.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Oppenheim
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Oppenheim have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 51.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 51.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 51.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 51.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 51.70% |
What Oppenheim haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Oppenheim is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Oppenheim surname are: H1, H, T. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Oppenheim have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Oppenheim" Surname 31.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Oppenheim" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Oppenheim" Surname 41.2%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Oppenheim" Surname 21.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Oppenheim?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Oppenheim are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition