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

Ordiway, 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 Ordiway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ordiway in America

Ordiway is the 39717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ordiway surname appeared 553 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 Ordiway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ordiway 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 Ordiway

The surname ORDIWAY is believed to have originated in England, arising in the medieval period between the 11th and 15th centuries. It is thought to be derived from an Old English place name, with "ord" meaning "point" or "ridge" and "weg" meaning "way" or "road." This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or along a ridge-top path.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William Ordewy is listed in Oxfordshire. The variant spelling "Ordewy" provides insight into the name's potential pronunciation at that time. Another early record from 1327 mentions a John Ordewey in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex.

By the 15th century, the name had evolved closer to its modern form, with records showing an Agnes Ordyway in Berkshire in 1428 and a John Ordyway in Somerset in 1461. These examples demonstrate the name's geographic spread across southern England during this period.

Interestingly, the ORDIWAY surname shares roots with the place name Ordway Hill in Hampshire, which was recorded as "Ordeweye" in the 13th century Testa de Nevill. This provides further evidence of the name's toponymic origins.

Notable historical figures with the ORDIWAY surname include:

1. Robert Ordiway (c.1520-1582), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
2. Elizabeth Ordiway (1628-1714), one of the first English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, arriving in 1635.
3. John Ordiway (1722-1798), a British soldier who fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.
4. William Ordiway (1768-1846), an English author and poet known for his pastoral works celebrating rural life.
5. Mary Ordiway (1845-1932), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, co-founding the Rhode Island Women's Suffrage Association in 1869.

While the ORDIWAY name has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, these examples illustrate its presence across various regions and occupations over multiple centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ordiway

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

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

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

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