Surname Overbay - Meaning and Origin
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Overbay: What does the surname Overbay mean?
The last name Overbay originated as an occupational name from England. Essentially, it's a medieval term for a person who owned, operated, or managed a ferryboat used to cross a river or harbor. The most popular forms of the name include Overbay, Oberbay, and Oberbauer.
Overbay can also be interpreted to mean 'over the bay'. This suggests that an individual with the surname was a successful merchant or a sailor who crossed over bays and other bodies of water frequently. In the middle ages, ferries were typically owned by a certain family or community and so became associated with that surname.
In modern times, the name Overbay would typically refer to someone with direct links to England and references to water, thus describing the surname’s origin. Families with the surname Overbay often have roots that extend back centuries, and a few may still be involved in the ferry business or related professions.
Regardless of its origin, today the name Overbay has a solid reputation for dependability and faithfulness and remains an interesting and influential name in many parts of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisOverbay: Where does the name Overbay come from?
The last name Overbay is found in many countries around the world today, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany. The surname has German roots, stemming from a place of residence known as Oberbach.
In the US, the top states with the most individuals carrying the surname Overbay are Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee. In Canada, the provinces with the highest number of individuals with the last name are Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.
In Australia, the states with the highest prevalence of Overbay include New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. In Germany, the last name is most common in the areas of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Wurttemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Berlin, Hamburg, and Lower Saxony.
Overall, the surname Overbay is found in many parts of the world, with various variations of the spelling existing, such as Oberberg, Oberbaer, Oberfeil, Oberpfaahl, or Oberfreil. Thus, individuals with this last name can be found today in Europe, Australia, North America, and other countries.
Variations of the surname Overbay
The Overbay surname is believed to be of German or Dutch origins and is more commonly spelt Ohrbach, Auerbach, Averbach, Overbaugh, and Oberbach.
The Overbay family name is found in many spelling variations in German or Dutch today, with the more commonly used being those listed above. The spelling of the name can be influenced by where the family was based historically, regional dialect and time period.
The Overbay surname is commonly found in its variation of Ohrbach but is also seen in its original spelling of Oberbach in some records. The German spelling of the surname most likely originated from the Rhineland area of Germany with the Overbays being descendants of a noble family located in the Rhineland.
The alternative spelling of the name which is Auerbach is also popular in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland. This is usually in the form Auerbacher, Au(e)rbach or Ouerbach.
Another variation of the name found in North America is Overbaugh. This is generally thought to be an Americanisation of the original spelling.
The Overbay family is believed to share common ancestory with the Dutch van der Bijl, van der Poel, van Velden, van Kempen and van der Veen family names.
Therefore, the variants of the Overbay surname are Ohrbach, Auerbach, Averbach, Overbaugh, Oberbach, van der Bijl, van der Poel, van Velden, van Kempen and van der Veen.
Famous people with the name Overbay
- Lyle Overbay: former Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star first baseman who played for 15 years, from 2001 to 2016.
- Fozzy Whittaker: NFL running back who played for the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. He was born Lyle Overbay Whittaker in 1988
- Nikki Overbay: a contestant on The Amazing Race 31, and an advocate and speaker focusing on mental health and wellness.
- Tim Overbay: Former NFL linebacker who played for the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers.
- Jim Overbay: Senior manager and environmental specialist from Wisconsin who founded the North Crest Environmental Group.
- Lisa Overbay: an Alaska resident who was a contestant on season 7 of The Biggest Loser.
- Carl Overbay: a Nashville-based corporate entrepreneur who has founded or been instrumental in founding multiple corporations and served as executive or board member.
- Adam Overbay: a singer/songwriter from Florida and a former contestant from the show The Voice.
- Ricky Overbay: an American professional flat track racer who was the 2013 US National Speedway Champion.
- Nancy Overbay: former mayor of Apalachicola, Florida
- Dean Overbay: retired professional basketball player who led the IBL in rebounding in 1998, and played professionally in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Turkey and Panama.
- Lindsey Overbay: an art teacher, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate from North Carolina.
- Erin Overbay: Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy for Sunoco Partners, LLC in Dallas, Texas.
- Abe Overbay: Pennsylvania stand-up comedian who has performed in clubs and comedy venues across the region.
- Aly Overbay: obsessive reader, lover of travel, and former freelance writer from Pennsylvania.