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

Oram, 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 Oram surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oram in America

Oram is the 15995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oram surname appeared 1,815 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Oram.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oram 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 Oram

The surname Oram is of English origin, believed to have originated in the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "ora" or "ore," which referred to a bank or a ridge, particularly in relation to geographic features such as hills or riverbanks.

The name was likely initially given as a descriptive surname to individuals who lived near or on a prominent ridge or hill. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with references in various historical documents and records.

One notable early mention of the name Oram appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1194, where a certain William Oram is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the Oram family had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 13th century, the name Oram was also found in various manorial records and court rolls from counties such as Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of England, likely due to migration and the establishment of new branches of the family.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Oram was John Oram, who was born around 1285 in Oxfordshire. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several local records from the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Oram, a knight who lived in the late 14th century and is recorded as participating in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was likely from a noble or gentry family, given his title and involvement in military campaigns.

In the 16th century, the name Oram was found in various parish records and tax rolls, indicating its continued presence across different regions of England. One individual of note was Thomas Oram, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the thriving trade between England and the colonies in the Americas in the late 1500s.

The 17th century saw the emergence of Richard Oram, a prominent clergyman and scholar who was born in Hertfordshire in 1633. He attended Oxford University and later became a vicar in several parishes, as well as publishing works on theology and philosophy.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Oram continued to be well-represented in various records, including the birth of William Oram in 1712 in Oxfordshire. William became a successful farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to carry on the family name in the region for generations.

Throughout its history, the surname Oram has been associated with numerous places and localities across England, often deriving from the presence of geographic features such as ridges or hills. Some examples include Oram's Hill in Oxfordshire, Oram's Bank in Wiltshire, and Oram's Croft in Gloucestershire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oram

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

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 Oram 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 Oram 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 Oram was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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