Find out how popular the last name Jorde is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jorde.

Jorde, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jorde surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jorde in America

Jorde is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jorde surname appeared 347 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jorde.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jorde to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jorde

The surname Jorde originated in Norway during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse word "jorð," which means "earth" or "land." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived on or worked the land, such as a farmer or landowner.

The earliest known record of the name Jorde can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "Jordæ," "Jordæ," and "Iordæ," reflecting the regional dialects and variations in writing at the time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Jorde was Torstein Jorde, a Norwegian farmer who lived in Trondheim in the late 14th century. His name is mentioned in a land deed from 1387, indicating that he owned a substantial amount of property in the area.

In the 16th century, the name Jorde appears in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organization that dominated maritime commerce in Northern Europe. Olav Jorde, a merchant from Bergen, is listed as a member of the league in 1524, suggesting that the family had achieved a certain level of prosperity and influence.

During the 17th century, the Jorde name gained prominence in the region of Telemark, located in southern Norway. Halvor Jorde, born in 1621, was a respected landowner and local official in the village of Vinje. He played a significant role in the development of the community and is mentioned in several historical documents from that era.

Another notable figure with the surname Jorde was Kirsten Jorde, a Norwegian playwright and author who lived from 1772 to 1834. She was one of the first female writers in Norway to gain recognition for her works, which included plays, poems, and novels that explored themes of love, family, and societal issues.

In the 19th century, the Jorde name became associated with the Norwegian diaspora, as many individuals bearing this surname emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly North America and Australia. One such individual was Anders Jorde, born in 1843, who left Norway for the United States in 1867 and settled in Minnesota, where he worked as a farmer and landowner.

Throughout its history, the surname Jorde has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots, reflecting the agricultural and land-based origins of the name. While the name has spread across the globe, its earliest recorded instances and most significant historical figures can be traced back to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Norway.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jorde

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jorde.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jorde was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jorde has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jorde was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jorde, please contact us.

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