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

Orff, 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 Orff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orff in America

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

The Orff 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 Orff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orff 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 Orff

The surname Orff has its origins in Germany, where it is believed to have emerged in the 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "orf," which referred to a piece of land or property. This suggests that the name may have initially been applied to someone who owned or lived on a particular piece of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orff can be found in the town of Nuremberg, where a person named Hans Orff was mentioned in a document from the year 1389. The name also appears in various other historical records from the region, such as tax rolls and church records, throughout the following centuries.

In the 16th century, the Orff family is known to have been present in the town of Großheirath, located in the modern-day state of Bavaria. The earliest recorded member of the family from this area was a man named Michael Orff, who was born in 1540.

The surname Orff gained particular prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the achievements of the composer Carl Orff, who was born in Munich in 1895. Orff is best known for his innovative approach to music education, as well as his celebrated works such as Carmina Burana and Der Mond.

Another notable figure with the surname Orff was the German actor and director Franz Orff, who lived from 1900 to 1982. He was best known for his work in the theater, particularly his productions of plays by Bertolt Brecht.

In addition to these famous individuals, the name Orff has also been associated with several other notable figures throughout history. For example, in the 17th century, there was a German artist named Johann Baptist Orff, who specialized in painting religious scenes and portraits.

Furthermore, in the 19th century, there was a German historian and archivist named Johann Friedrich Orff, who made significant contributions to the study of medieval German history and literature.

Overall, the surname Orff has a rich and varied history, with its roots firmly planted in the German-speaking regions of Europe. While it may have initially been applied to those who owned or occupied a particular piece of land, the name has since been carried by a diverse array of individuals, including artists, composers, actors, and scholars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orff

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

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

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

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