2000
#9,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,072
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Orman
A Turkish surname meaning "forest," likely referring to someone who lived near or worked in a forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,347 Americans carry the last name Orman. That puts it at #10,489 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Orman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,406
Census rank
#10,489
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,919 bearers of the surname Orman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10489th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orman
The surname Orman is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "orman," which means "warrior" or "brave." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who displayed exceptional courage or military prowess.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where a man named William Orman is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and their inclusion of the name Orman indicates that it was already established in England by that time.
In the 13th century, the surname Orman appears in various records from different regions of England, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1212, which mention a Robert Orman. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial origins and was being used by families across the country.
During the Middle Ages, the name Orman was also associated with certain place names, such as Ormesby in Yorkshire and Ormskirk in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English word "orman," and it is possible that some individuals adopted the surname Orman based on their association with these locations.
One notable figure in history who bore the surname Orman was Sir John Orman, a 14th-century English knight who served as the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1379. Another prominent individual was William Orman, a 16th-century merchant and Member of Parliament for Ipswich in 1547.
In the 17th century, the name Orman appeared in various records, including the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, where several Orman families were recorded as residents. During this period, the spelling of the name may have varied slightly, appearing as Ormon or Ormyn in some instances.
Other historical figures with the surname Orman include Richard Orman, a 17th-century English clergyman and author of religious works, and Thomas Orman, a 19th-century British architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
While the surname Orman has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely due to migration and travel. However, the earliest recorded instances and the historical significance of the name can be traced back to its English origins, rooted in the Old English word "orman" and its association with bravery and military valor.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orman
Among Census respondents with the surname Orman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Orman 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 Orman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 2,588
- Two or more races4.2% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 110
- Black or African American1.3% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orman
Orman 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
#10,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,139
+67 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 565 places
2020
#10,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,919
-220 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,703 | 3,072 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,268 | 3,139 | 1.06 | +67 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 565 places |
| 2020 | #10,489 | 2,919 | 0.98 | -220 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 221 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 Orman 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 | #10,268 | #10,489 | -2.2% |
| Count | 3,139 | 2,919 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.98 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orman bearers went from 3,139 to 2,919 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 221 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,268 to #10,489.
FAQ
Orman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,347 living Americans carry the surname Orman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,406 residents.
How common is Orman?
Orman ranks #10,489 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,919 people with the surname Orman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Orman.
Has Orman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orman went from 3,139 recorded bearers to 2,919. That is a decrease of 220 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,268 to #10,489.
What does the Census say about the background of Orman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Orman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,588 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Orman (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 Orman mean?
A Turkish surname meaning "forest," likely referring to someone who lived near or worked in a forest. 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 Orman (0.98 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 Orman?
You can see how many people have the surname Orman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.