2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Orifice
A surname describing an opening or hole, likely referencing someone's place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Orifice. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orifice surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Orifice in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orifice, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orifice
The surname Orifice is believed to have originated in medieval England, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "orifice," which referred to a small opening or aperture, particularly in reference to the human body. This surname was likely given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a distinctive opening or passageway, such as a cave entrance or a small valley between hills.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orifice can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1327, where a John de Orifice is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Kettlewell. The "de" prefix in his name suggests that he or his ancestors may have hailed from a place called Orifice or a location with a similar name.
In the late 15th century, records show a Thomas Orifice who was a merchant and trader in the city of Bristol. He is mentioned in local guild records from 1487 as having imported goods from the Mediterranean region.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century, a notable figure named William Orifice (1547-1611) served as a member of the Queen's bodyguard. He was known for his bravery and loyalty to the crown.
The Orifice surname also has a connection to the village of Orifice Magna in Shropshire, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is possible that some families adopted the surname after residing in or near this settlement.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Sarah Orifice (1704-1786) was a well-respected midwife and herbalist in the city of London. Her expertise in childbirth and natural remedies earned her a reputation among the city's upper-class families.
Throughout history, the Orifice surname has been found across various regions of England, with concentrations in Yorkshire, Shropshire, and the Bristol area. While not a particularly common name, it has endured over the centuries, reflecting the diverse origins and occupations of those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orifice
Among Census respondents with the surname Orifice, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Orifice bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Orifice surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 100
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orifice
Orifice appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+6 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,424 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-15 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 3,424 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,147 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Orifice surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #145,757 | -11.6% |
| Count | 130 | 115 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orifice bearers went from 130 to 115 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,757.
FAQ
Orifice surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orifice?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Orifice. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Orifice?
Orifice ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Orifice. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Orifice.
Has Orifice become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orifice went from 130 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Orifice?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orifice, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Orifice in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orifice appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Orifice (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Orifice mean?
A surname describing an opening or hole, likely referencing someone's place of origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Orifice (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Orifice?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Orifice, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.