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

Ortiz, 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 Ortiz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ortiz in America

Ortiz is the 43969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ortiz surname appeared 490 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 Ortiz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ortiz 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 Ortiz

The surname Oritz is believed to have originated in the Basque region of Spain, which straddles the western Pyrenees mountains along the border with France. The name is thought to have derived from the Basque word "oritz," meaning "fern" or "bracken." This plant flourishes in the lush, verdant landscape of the Basque Country, which may have inspired the name's origins.

The earliest recorded instances of the Oritz surname can be traced back to the 11th century in various Basque charters and documents. One notable mention is in the Codex de Roda, a medieval manuscript compiled in the 11th century, which references an individual named "Lope Oritz de Pamplona."

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Fuero de Vitoria, a legal document that granted privileges and rights to the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque region. This document mentions several Oritz families, suggesting their presence and influence in the area during that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Oritz surname was Martín Oritz de Bilbao, a prominent merchant and ship owner from the city of Bilbao in the late 15th century. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes between the Basque Country and the Americas, contributing to the region's economic prosperity.

During the Spanish Golden Age in the 16th and 17th centuries, several individuals with the Oritz surname achieved notable recognition. Juan de Oritz, born in 1498, was a renowned playwright and poet who contributed to the development of the Spanish Renaissance theater. Meanwhile, Nicolás Antonio Oritz, born in 1617, was a distinguished scholar and bibliographer, known for his work on Spanish literature and history.

Another prominent figure was Gaspar de Oritz, born in 1540, a Basque explorer and navigator who accompanied the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate on expeditions to the present-day American Southwest. Oritz played a crucial role in mapping and documenting the territories they explored, contributing to the expansion of Spanish influence in the region.

In the 19th century, José Joaquín de Oritz y Sanz, born in 1801, was a prominent Spanish statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1856 to 1857. He was known for his efforts to modernize the country's infrastructure and promote economic development.

While the Oritz surname has its roots in the Basque region of Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and the United States, carried by individuals of Basque descent or those with Spanish ancestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ortiz

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

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

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

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