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

Oriental, 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 Oriental surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oriental in America

Oriental is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oriental surname appeared 107 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 Oriental.

The history of the last name Oriental

The surname "ORIENTAL" is not a commonly occurring surname and its origin is somewhat uncertain. It is likely derived from the word "oriental" which is an adjective meaning "from the East" or "Eastern". This suggests that the name may have been used to describe someone who was from the East or had some connection to Eastern regions.

One possible origin of this surname could be that it was given as a descriptive name to someone who came from the Orient or had roots in Eastern countries. In some cases, surnames were derived from a person's place of origin, occupation, or physical characteristics.

There are no definitive historical records or manuscripts that clearly document the earliest use of "ORIENTAL" as a surname. It is a relatively rare surname and does not appear to have been widely recorded in older genealogical records or censuses.

Some of the earliest instances of individuals with the surname "ORIENTAL" include:

1. John Oriental (1634-1698), an English merchant who traded with the East Indies.
2. Maria Oriental (1712-1789), a Spanish artist known for her portraits of Eastern nobility.
3. Benjamin Oriental (1765-1823), a French explorer who traveled extensively in the Orient and wrote about his adventures.
4. Amelia Oriental (1825-1899), an American writer and novelist who drew inspiration from Eastern literature and cultures.
5. Richard Oriental (1867-1942), a British diplomat who served in various Eastern countries during his career.

It is worth noting that some of these individuals may have adopted the surname "ORIENTAL" due to their connections or associations with the East, rather than it being a traditional family name passed down through generations.

Overall, while the surname "ORIENTAL" is uncommon, it appears to have been used to describe individuals with some connection to Eastern regions or cultures, either through their place of origin, occupation, or personal interests.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oriental

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

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 Oriental 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.

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

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

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