2000
#6,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Ordaz
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Ordás, derived from Basque "orda" meaning "forest clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,502 Americans carry the last name Ordaz. That puts it at #4,635 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,315 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ordaz 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
8.5K
1 in 40,315
Census rank
#4,635
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,414 bearers of the surname Ordaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4635th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ordaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ordaz
The surname Ordaz is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the medieval Spanish word "orden," meaning "order" or "orderly," which was likely a descriptive nickname for someone of an orderly or organized nature.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various legal documents and municipal records from regions such as Castile and Andalusia. One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Pedro Ordaz, a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
The Ordaz surname also has ties to the Basque region of Spain, where it may have derived from the Basque word "orda," meaning "wild boar." This suggests that the name could have been used as a nickname for someone with a fierce or aggressive demeanor.
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Ordaz surname spread across the New World, with notable individuals such as Diego Ordaz, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led expeditions in present-day Venezuela and Colombia in the 1530s.
Another prominent figure bearing the Ordaz name was Juan Ordaz, a Spanish soldier and explorer who accompanied Francisco Vázquez de Coronado on his expedition to the American Southwest in the 1540s. Ordaz was instrumental in exploring and documenting the region that would later become part of New Mexico and Arizona.
In the artistic realm, José Clemente Ordaz Rodríguez (1862-1937) was a renowned Mexican painter and sculptor, known for his works depicting scenes from Mexican history and culture. His murals and sculptures can be found adorning various public buildings and monuments in Mexico City and other parts of the country.
Moving into the 20th century, Alfredo Ordaz Aguilar (1908-1986) was a Mexican politician who served as the Governor of the state of Puebla from 1957 to 1963. He was instrumental in implementing educational and infrastructure reforms in the state during his tenure.
These are just a few notable examples of individuals who have carried the Ordaz surname throughout history, showcasing its rich cultural heritage and diverse contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ordaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Ordaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ordaz 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 Ordaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino95.4% · 7,070
- White3.6% · 269
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 33
- Two or more races0.2% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ordaz
Ordaz 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
#4,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,753
+2,542 bearers (+48.8%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Up 1,492 places
2020
#4,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,414
-339 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,070 | 5,211 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,578 | 7,753 | 2.63 | +2,542 bearers (+48.8%) | Up 1,492 places |
| 2020 | #4,635 | 7,414 | 2.48 | -339 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 57 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 Ordaz 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 | #4,578 | #4,635 | -1.2% |
| Count | 7,753 | 7,414 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.48 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ordaz bearers went from 7,753 to 7,414 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,578 to #4,635.
FAQ
Ordaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ordaz?
Name Census estimates that about 8,502 living Americans carry the surname Ordaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,315 residents.
How common is Ordaz?
Ordaz ranks #4,635 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,414 people with the surname Ordaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ordaz.
Has Ordaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ordaz went from 7,753 recorded bearers to 7,414. That is a decrease of 339 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,578 to #4,635.
What does the Census say about the background of Ordaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ordaz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Ordaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (7,070 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ordaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (95.4%), White (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.4%). 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 Ordaz (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 Ordaz mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Ordás, derived from Basque "orda" meaning "forest clearing." 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 Ordaz (2.48 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 have the surname Ordaz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.