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

Orlova, 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 Orlova surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orlova in America

Orlova is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orlova surname appeared 172 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 Orlova.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orlova 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 Orlova

The surname Orlova originated in Russia and is derived from the Russian word "orel," meaning "eagle." It is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the possessive suffix "-ov" or "-ova" to the personal name or nickname of the father.

In the early days, surnames were often descriptive, reflecting a person's occupation, physical characteristics, or place of origin. The name Orlova may have been given to someone who had a keen eye or a proud, eagle-like demeanor. Alternatively, it could have been associated with a place or location where eagles were prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orlova can be found in the Velvet Book, a manuscript dating back to the 16th century. It contains a list of noble families in Moscow, and the name Orlova appears several times.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Orlova family played a prominent role in Russian history. Ivan Orlova (1532-1604) was a renowned military commander who served under Ivan the Terrible. His son, Fyodor Orlova (1565-1619), was a diplomat and statesman who negotiated several important treaties with neighboring countries.

In the 18th century, the name Orlova gained further prominence with the rise of Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov (1734-1783), a Russian military officer and favorite of Catherine the Great. He played a pivotal role in the coup that brought Catherine to power and was rewarded with vast estates and wealth.

Another notable figure was the Russian ballerina Yelizaveta Orlova (1867-1944), who was a prima ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Her performances were widely acclaimed, and she was considered one of the greatest ballerinas of her time.

In the 20th century, the name Orlova was associated with the Russian actress Lubov Orlova (1902-1975), who starred in several classic Soviet films, including "Volga-Volga" and "Circus." Her performances brought her international fame and recognition.

The surname Orlova has a rich history deeply rooted in Russian culture and tradition. While its origins may be humble, it has been borne by many notable figures throughout the centuries, from military commanders and diplomats to artists and performers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orlova

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

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

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

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