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

Ord, 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 Ord surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ord in America

Ord is the 24352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ord surname appeared 1,029 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 Ord.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ord 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 Ord

The surname Ord is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ord," which means "point" or "spear." This suggests that the name might have originally referred to someone who was skilled with a spear or lived near a pointed feature of the landscape.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ord can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Orde." This census, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their properties across England and parts of Wales.

During the 13th century, the name Ord was particularly prevalent in the Yorkshire region of northern England. It is believed that the name originated in this area and may have been connected to a place name, such as the village of Ord in North Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Walter Ord, who was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195. Another early record is that of William Ord, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279.

In the 14th century, the surname Ord appeared in various spellings, including Orde, Orthe, and Ourde. This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Ord throughout history include:

1. Robert Ord (c. 1490-1556), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. John Ord (c. 1566-1646), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal.

3. Craven Ord (1756-1832), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became Governor of the Bahamas.

4. Sir Harry St. John Ord (1819-1885), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became Governor of Victoria, Australia.

5. William Miller Ord (1834-1902), an American army surgeon who served in the American Civil War and later became a pioneer in the field of neurology.

While the surname Ord has roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, it remains most prevalent in regions with strong historical ties to the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ord

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

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

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

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