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

Oregon, 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 Oregon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oregon in America

Oregon is the 23662nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oregon surname appeared 1,071 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 Oregon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oregon 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 Oregon

The surname OREGON is not a traditional family name, but rather derives from the name of the U.S. state of Oregon. The name Oregon itself comes from an archaic term used by Native Americans referring to the region's river systems. The name was first recorded in a journal entry by Robert Shortess as "Origan" or "Oregan" in reference to the Columbia River.

Early European explorers and settlers in the Pacific Northwest adopted the name Oregon to refer to the wider geographic area. The first known use of the name Oregon in a book was in the 1838 publication "Travels in the Great Western Prairies" by Thomas J. Farnham. It became officially recognized as the name for the territory in 1849.

As European settlement in the region increased during the 19th century, some individuals began using Oregon as a surname, likely drawn to its unique sound and connection to the emerging state. One of the earliest known uses of Oregon as a surname was John Oregon, born in 1820 in Missouri. Another early bearer was William Oregon, born in 1835 in Ohio.

A more prominent example is John Cameron Oregon, born in 1848, who was a pioneer and rancher in Eastern Oregon. His descendants carried on the surname in the region. Martha Oregon, born in 1862 in Oregon, was one of the state's earliest female physicians.

While not a traditional surname with deep historical roots, the name Oregon has been adopted by some families over the past two centuries, reflecting the pioneering spirit and connection to the state's history and landscape. Its origins lie in the Native American languages and early exploration of the Pacific Northwest region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oregon

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

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

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

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