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

Orf, 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 Orf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orf in America

Orf is the 21048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orf surname appeared 1,249 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 Orf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orf 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 Orf

The surname "Orf" is of German origin, and its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "orf," which means "cattle" or "livestock." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who worked as herdsmen or cattle farmers.

In the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various historical records across the German-speaking regions, particularly in areas like Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents dating back to the 9th century, where it is mentioned as "Orfo."

The Orf name gained prominence in the 14th century, with several notable individuals bearing it. One such person was Heinrich Orf, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Nuremberg, who lived from 1320 to 1392. Another was Johann Orf, a renowned scholar and theologian from Leipzig, who lived between 1370 and 1445.

As time passed, the name spread to other parts of Europe, and its spelling variations emerged, such as "Orff," "Orfe," and "Orffe." In the 16th century, a notable figure was the composer and music theorist Carl Orff, who lived from 1895 to 1982 and is best known for his work "Carmina Burana."

Other notable individuals with the surname Orf include:

1. Friedrich Wilhelm Orf (1779-1858), a German philosopher and writer from Weimar.
2. Anna Orf (1826-1891), a German philanthropist and social reformer from Berlin.
3. Wilhelm Orf (1867-1934), a German politician and member of the Reichstag.
4. Hans-Jürgen Orf (1913-1997), a German architect and urban planner from Munich.
5. Ingrid Orf (born 1947), a German actress and television personality.

While the name Orf may have originated from a humble background associated with cattle farming, it has since become a part of the rich tapestry of German history and culture, with many notable individuals bearing this surname and contributing to various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orf

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

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

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

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