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

Orlich, 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 Orlich surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orlich in America

Orlich is the 42640th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orlich surname appeared 508 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 Orlich.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orlich 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 Orlich

The surname Orlich originated in Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "orlo," which means "border" or "frontier." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a border or frontier area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Orlich can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of official documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to 1268.

During the Middle Ages, the Orlich surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Silesia, which were part of the Holy Roman Empire. Some notable individuals with this surname from that era include Johannes Orlich, a merchant from Leipzig who was mentioned in records from the late 14th century, and Heinrich Orlich, a landowner in Silesia whose name is documented in a deed from 1412.

As the centuries passed, the Orlich surname spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In the 16th century, there is a record of a Hans Orlich, a master craftsman from Nuremberg, who was celebrated for his intricate woodcarvings.

During the 17th century, the Orlich name gained prominence in the field of academia. Johann Christoph Orlich, born in 1685 in Silesia, was a renowned theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. His works on religious philosophy and ethics were widely influential during the Age of Enlightenment.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the Orlich surname is associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. Johann Georg Orlich, born in 1737 in Saxony, was a celebrated painter known for his landscape and portrait works. Meanwhile, Karl Orlich, born in 1818 in Silesia, was a pioneering geologist who made significant contributions to the study of mineral formations and rock formations.

Throughout its history, the Orlich surname has also been linked to various place names, particularly in Germany. For instance, the town of Orlichau in Silesia was likely named after an early bearer of the Orlich name, and the Orlich family crest can still be seen in some historical records from that region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orlich

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

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

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

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