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

Oreste, 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 Oreste surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oreste in America

Oreste is the 80678th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oreste surname appeared 235 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 Oreste.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oreste 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 Oreste

The surname Oreste finds its origins in Italy, with roots dating back to ancient Greek mythology. The name is derived from the Greek word "Orestēs," which means "mountain man" or "one who dwells on the mountains." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided in mountainous regions of Italy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Oreste surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of documents from the 9th to the 12th centuries related to the Benedictine monastery of Cava dei Tirreni in southern Italy. The name is also mentioned in several other medieval Italian records, such as the Cartulario di Montemurlo, a 12th-century document from Tuscany.

The Oreste surname is believed to have originated in the region of Calabria, located in the southern part of the Italian peninsula. It is possible that the name was initially used as a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname, as was common during the Middle Ages.

In terms of notable individuals bearing the Oreste surname, one of the earliest recorded was Pietro Oreste, a 14th-century Italian scholar and philosopher from Apulia. Another prominent figure was Girolamo Oreste (1460-1537), an Italian humanist and writer from Viterbo.

During the Renaissance period, the Oreste surname gained further recognition with individuals like Gian Battista Oreste (1515-1585), an Italian poet and playwright from Padua, and Camillo Oreste (1570-1640), a scholar and jurist from Bologna.

In the 18th century, Antonio Oreste (1720-1797) was a notable Italian painter and engraver from Naples, known for his works depicting biblical and mythological scenes.

Throughout its history, the Oreste surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Italy, particularly in the southern parts of the country. While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation over time, its Greek roots and connections to mountainous regions have remained a notable part of its rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oreste

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!