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

Orient, 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 Orient surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orient in America

Orient is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orient surname appeared 129 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 Orient.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orient 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 Orient

The surname Orient has its origins in the Middle French word "orient" which means "east" or "rising." This name likely originated in medieval France, with bearers potentially hailing from eastern regions of the country or being associated with trade routes or influences from the East.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Orient can be found in the Armorial Général de France, a historic collection of French heraldic arms compiled in the late 17th century. In this record, the Orient family is mentioned as residing in the Île-de-France region near Paris.

Interestingly, the surname Orient also appears in historical records related to the Crusades. During the Third Crusade in the late 12th century, a knight named Guilhem Orient is documented as having fought alongside Richard the Lionheart in the siege of Acre in modern-day Israel.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the Orient surname was Étienne Orient, a French monk and scholar who authored several works on theology and philosophy. He lived from around 1200 to 1270.

Later, in the 15th century, a merchant named Jacques Orient is recorded as having established a successful trading company in the city of Lyon, facilitating commerce with the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East.

Another notable bearer of the Orient surname was Jeanne Orient, a French playwright and poet who lived in the 16th century. She was known for her critically acclaimed plays and her participation in the literary circles of her time.

In the 18th century, a French explorer and cartographer named Louis Orient made significant contributions to the mapping of the Pacific Ocean and the coasts of Australia and New Zealand during his voyages with the French Navy.

During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, a military officer named Pierre Orient served in the French Army and was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his bravery and leadership in several battles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orient

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

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

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

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