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

Orndorff, 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 Orndorff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orndorff in America

Orndorff is the 10250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orndorff surname appeared 3,145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Orndorff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orndorff 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 Orndorff

The surname Orndorff has its origins in Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Orn," which means "eagle," combined with the word "dorf," meaning "village" or "town." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place named after an eagle or a location where eagles were prevalent.

The earliest recorded instance of the Orndorff name can be found in the baptismal records of the town of Obermoschel, in the Palatinate region of Germany, in the year 1595. Here, the name was spelled "Orndorff." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Orndorf, Orndorfer, and Orndorfer.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Johann Orndorff, a German immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737. He settled in what is now Franklin County and became a prominent farmer and landowner. His descendants continued to use the Orndorff spelling, and many of them remained in the region for generations.

Another early record of the Orndorff name can be found in the church records of Kirchheimbolanden, a town in the Palatinate region, where an individual named Hans Orndorff was born in 1638.

In the 18th century, several Orndorff families emigrated from Germany to America, seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities. One such family was that of Johannes Orndorff, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749 and eventually settled in Virginia.

A notable figure from this lineage was Samuel Orndorff, born in 1784 in Virginia. He served as a captain in the War of 1812 and later became a prominent businessman and landowner in the Shenandoah Valley region.

Another individual of historical significance was Jacob Orndorff, born in 1791 in Pennsylvania. He was a farmer and miller who played a role in the early development of the milling industry in the region.

As the Orndorff family spread throughout the United States, they contributed to various fields, including agriculture, manufacturing, and public service. While the name may have evolved slightly in its spelling over time, its German origins and connection to the concept of an "eagle village" have remained a part of its historical narrative.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orndorff

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

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

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

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