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

Orleans, 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 Orleans surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orleans in America

Orleans is the 64891st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orleans surname appeared 306 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 Orleans.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orleans 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 Orleans

The surname Orleans originates from France and has been in use since the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French city of Orléans, which was an important center of trade and culture during the medieval period.

The name Orléans itself is believed to come from the Gaulish word "Cenabum," which referred to the settlement that existed on the site before the Roman conquest. The Romans later renamed it "Aurelianum" or "Aurelia Civitas," which eventually evolved into the modern French name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Orleans can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de Orliens," indicating that the bearer was originally from the city of Orléans.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Robert d'Orleans (c. 1110-1183) was a French nobleman and military leader who participated in the Second Crusade. He was also known as Robert de Sablé and was a vassal of the Count of Anjou.

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453), the name Orleans gained further prominence due to the heroic actions of Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431), also known as the Maid of Orleans. She played a crucial role in the siege of Orléans in 1429, which was a turning point in the war.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Louis d'Orleans (1372-1407), a French prince and son of Charles V of France. He was an influential patron of the arts and literature during the late medieval period.

In the 16th century, François d'Orleans (c. 1512-1548) was a French Renaissance poet and member of the Pléiade, a group of poets who sought to elevate the French language to the level of ancient Greek and Latin.

During the 17th century, Philippe d'Orleans (1640-1701), also known as the Duke of Orleans, was a member of the French royal family and an influential military commander during the reign of Louis XIV.

These are just a few examples of prominent individuals who have borne the surname Orleans throughout history, reflecting its long-standing association with French nobility, military leadership, and cultural achievement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orleans

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

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

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

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