2000
#1,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.40
Uncommon Last name
Ornelas
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Ornelas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,861 Americans carry the last name Ornelas. That puts it at #1,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,787 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ornelas 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 Ornelas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,787
Census rank
#1,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,680 bearers of the surname Ornelas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ornelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ornelas
The surname Ornelas has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "ornatus," which means "ornate" or "adorned." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked as a decorative artist or in a profession related to ornamentation.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ornelas surname date back to the late 12th century and early 13th century in various historical documents from the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. One notable mention is in the Libro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile (1311-1350), where the name appears in reference to landowners and noblemen.
During the Age of Exploration, the Ornelas surname gained prominence as some of its bearers participated in the voyages of discovery and colonization. For instance, Pedro Ornelas was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his famous voyage to India in 1498. Another notable figure was Juan de Ornelas, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Canary Islands in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Ornelas family established a significant presence in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean. One notable individual was Diego de Ornelas, a Spanish soldier and settler who played a role in the conquest of Mexico and later became a prominent landowner in the region.
As the centuries progressed, the Ornelas surname spread across various regions, and its bearers contributed to various fields, including literature, arts, and politics. One notable example is Álvaro de Ornelas Vasconcelos, a Portuguese writer and poet who lived in the 18th century and is known for his works on historical and religious themes.
Another prominent figure with the Ornelas surname was José María Ornelas, a Mexican politician and military leader who played a significant role in the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century. He served as a general in the Mexican Army and later became the governor of the state of Coahuila.
Throughout its long history, the Ornelas surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of the world, particularly in Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries. Its rich heritage reflects the diverse cultural influences and contributions of its bearers across multiple generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ornelas
Among Census respondents with the surname Ornelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ornelas 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 Ornelas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.6% · 20,085
- White6.0% · 1,307
- Two or more races0.4% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 79
- Black or African American0.3% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ornelas
Ornelas 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
#1,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,969
+5,691 bearers (+32.9%)
Per 100,000 7.79
Rank movement Up 341 places
2020
#1,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,680
-1,289 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 7.25
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,909 | 17,278 | 6.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,568 | 22,969 | 7.79 | +5,691 bearers (+32.9%) | Up 341 places |
| 2020 | #1,611 | 21,680 | 7.25 | -1,289 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 43 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 Ornelas 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 | #1,568 | #1,611 | -2.7% |
| Count | 22,969 | 21,680 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 7.79 | 7.25 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ornelas bearers went from 22,969 to 21,680 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,568 to #1,611.
FAQ
Ornelas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ornelas?
Name Census estimates that about 24,861 living Americans carry the surname Ornelas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,787 residents.
How common is Ornelas?
Ornelas ranks #1,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,680 people with the surname Ornelas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ornelas.
Has Ornelas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ornelas went from 22,969 recorded bearers to 21,680. That is a decrease of 1,289 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,568 to #1,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Ornelas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ornelas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ornelas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (20,085 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ornelas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.6%), White (6.0%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Ornelas (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 Ornelas mean?
A Galician and Portuguese habitational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Ornelas. 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 Ornelas (7.25 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 many people share the surname Ornelas?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.