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

Orejel, 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 Orejel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orejel in America

Orejel is the 27228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orejel surname appeared 888 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 Orejel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orejel 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 Orejel

The surname Orejel is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period, particularly in the regions of Castile and Aragon. It is thought to derive from the Spanish word "oreja," meaning "ear," which could suggest that the name was initially a descriptive nickname or occupational name referring to someone with distinctive ears or perhaps involved in the manufacture or repair of ear-related items.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Orejel surname dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in a manuscript from the city of Burgos, Spain. This document, a record of property transactions, mentioned an individual named Juan Orejel, who was likely a landowner or merchant.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Orejel began to spread throughout Spain, with notable individuals bearing the name emerging in various parts of the country. One such person was Rodrigo Orejel, a military commander who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon during the Reconquista, the period of Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors.

In the 17th century, the Orejel surname made its way to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru. One of the earliest recorded instances in the New World was that of Juan Orejel, a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century.

Another notable figure with the Orejel surname was Tomás Orejel, a Spanish painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, can still be found in various churches and museums across Spain.

In the 19th century, the Orejel surname gained prominence in the field of literature with the Spanish novelist and playwright Enrique Orejel, who was born in Madrid in 1832 and is known for his works exploring social and political themes of the time.

While the Orejel surname is not among the most common in Spain or Latin America, it has persisted throughout the centuries and can be found in various regions, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orejel

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

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

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

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