2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Orelup
Of French origin, a surname potentially referencing someone from the town of Orloup.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Orelup. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orelup 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Orelup in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orelup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orelup
The surname ORELUP originated in the small village of Pulero, nestled in the rolling hills of rural Tuscany, Italy, during the late 14th century. Derived from the Italian words "oro" meaning gold and "lupus" meaning wolf, it likely referred to an individual with golden-hued hair or a fierce demeanor reminiscent of a wolf.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Libro d'Oro, a registry of wealthy Florentine families, dating back to 1412. An entry mentions a certain Guido ORELUP, a prosperous merchant involved in the lucrative wool trade.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various municipal records across Tuscany, such as tax rolls and property deeds. A notable figure from this era was Lucrezia ORELUP (1538-1592), a renowned lace maker whose intricate designs were highly sought after by the nobility.
During the Renaissance period, the ORELUP family gained prominence in the town of Pienza, where they were patrons of the arts and commissioned several frescoes in the local churches. One such fresco, completed in 1617 by the artist Bartolomeo Betti, depicts a family portrait of the wealthy merchant Giovanni ORELUP (1572-1648) and his wife, Elisabetta.
As the family's fortunes grew, some members migrated to other regions of Italy and beyond. In the late 18th century, a branch of the ORELUP family settled in the city of Venice, where they established a successful glassmaking business. One of their descendants, Antonio ORELUP (1791-1865), was a master glassblower renowned for his exquisite chandeliers, which adorned many of Europe's grandest palaces and opera houses.
Another notable figure was Cesare ORELUP (1822-1897), a distinguished Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Sardinian Parliament during the unification of Italy. His eloquent speeches and unwavering commitment to the cause of national unity earned him widespread respect and admiration.
Over the centuries, the ORELUP surname has been carried far beyond its humble origins in Tuscany, with descendants scattered across Europe, the Americas, and beyond. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and resilience of this Italian family lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orelup
Among Census respondents with the surname Orelup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Orelup 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 Orelup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 10
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orelup
Orelup appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 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 Orelup 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 | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orelup bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Orelup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orelup?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Orelup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Orelup?
Orelup ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Orelup. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Orelup.
Has Orelup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orelup went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Orelup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orelup, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Orelup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orelup appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Orelup (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 Orelup mean?
Of French origin, a surname potentially referencing someone from the town of Orloup. 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 Orelup (0.03 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 common is the surname Orelup?
Find out how common the surname Orelup is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.