2000
#17,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,535
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Orantes
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "orans," meaning "praying" or "pleading."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,017 Americans carry the last name Orantes. That puts it at #11,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orantes surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,608
Census rank
#11,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,631 bearers of the surname Orantes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orantes
The surname Orantes originated in Spain, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "orante," meaning "praying" or "one who prays." This suggests a potential connection to religious or monastic orders, where individuals dedicated their lives to prayer and spiritual contemplation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Orantes can be found in the archives of the Cathedral of Seville, where a certain Fray Pedro Orantes is mentioned as a friar in the late 15th century. This indicates that the name may have been associated with members of religious orders during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various municipal records and legal documents across Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. Notable individuals bearing the surname Orantes during this era include Diego Orantes, a merchant from Seville who traded with the Americas, and Juana Orantes, a landowner from the town of Écija in Andalusia.
As the Spanish empire expanded across the Atlantic, the surname Orantes also found its way to the Americas. In the 17th century, Juan Orantes, a Spanish soldier, was recorded as one of the early settlers in the city of Caracas, present-day Venezuela.
The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent family bearing the Orantes surname in the town of Baeza, located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. This family was involved in local politics and land ownership, with members such as Bartolomé Orantes serving as a mayor during that time.
Moving into the 19th century, the name Orantes gained recognition in the arts and literature. Juan Orantes, a poet and playwright born in Seville in 1815, gained acclaim for his works exploring themes of love, passion, and the beauty of the Andalusian landscape.
Another notable figure was María Orantes, a celebrated soprano from Barcelona, who graced the stages of prestigious opera houses across Europe in the late 19th century. Her performances were widely praised, and she is remembered as one of the great Spanish operatic voices of her time.
Throughout history, the surname Orantes has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, merchants, soldiers, writers, and performers. While its origins may be rooted in religious devotion, the name has transcended boundaries and left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical fabric of Spain and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orantes
Among Census respondents with the surname Orantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Orantes bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Orantes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 2,461
- White4.9% · 129
- Two or more races0.5% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orantes
Orantes appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,507
+972 bearers (+63.3%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 4,660 places
2020
#11,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,631
+124 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 946 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,059 | 1,535 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,399 | 2,507 | 0.85 | +972 bearers (+63.3%) | Up 4,660 places |
| 2020 | #11,453 | 2,631 | 0.88 | +124 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 946 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Orantes surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,399 | #11,453 | 7.6% |
| Count | 2,507 | 2,631 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.88 | 3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orantes bearers went from 2,507 to 2,631 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 946 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,399 to #11,453.
FAQ
Orantes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orantes?
Name Census estimates that about 3,017 living Americans carry the surname Orantes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,608 residents.
How common is Orantes?
Orantes ranks #11,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,631 people with the surname Orantes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,017), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Orantes.
Has Orantes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orantes went from 2,507 recorded bearers to 2,631. That is an increase of 124 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,399 to #11,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Orantes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Two or More Races (0.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Orantes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (2,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orantes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (4.9%), Two or More Races (0.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Orantes (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Orantes mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Latin word "orans," meaning "praying" or "pleading." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Orantes (0.88 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Orantes?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.