2000
#13,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,042
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Oros
A Romanian surname derived from the word "oros," meaning "Russian," likely referring to an ancestor's ethnicity or origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,765 Americans carry the last name Oros. That puts it at #12,312 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 123,962 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oros 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.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 123,962
Census rank
#12,312
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,411 bearers of the surname Oros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12312th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are White (45.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oros
The surname OROS has its origins in the Greek language and is derived from the Greek word "oros," meaning "mountain." This suggests that the name likely originated in the mountainous regions of Greece or other areas with significant Greek cultural influence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname OROS can be found in the archives of the Byzantine Empire, where it appears in various official documents dating back to the 11th century. During this period, it was common practice for individuals to adopt surnames based on their place of origin, occupation, or physical characteristics.
In the 14th century, the name OROS is mentioned in the records of the Republic of Venice, which controlled various territories in the Greek islands and coastal regions. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname may have been involved in trade or other activities within the Venetian sphere of influence.
Notable individuals with the surname OROS include:
1. Dimitrios Oros (1771-1843), a Greek scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in the Greek Enlightenment movement.
2. Georgios Oros (1856-1923), a Greek military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War during the Balkan Wars.
3. Konstantinos Oros (1890-1965), a Greek painter and sculptor known for his portrayal of rural life and landscapes.
4. Maria Oros (1920-2002), a Greek writer and poet who explored themes of love, loss, and resilience in her works.
5. Alexandros Oros (1942-2018), a renowned Greek archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek pottery.
The surname OROS is also found in various forms and spellings across different regions, such as Oros, Orós, Oross, and Orozco, indicating its presence in areas with Greek cultural influence or migration patterns.
While the exact origin and migration patterns of the surname OROS may be difficult to trace with absolute certainty, its Greek roots and historical presence in various regions and time periods provide valuable insights into the rich cultural heritage associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oros
Among Census respondents with the surname Oros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are White (45.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Oros 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 Oros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino51.3% · 1,236
- White45.8% · 1,104
- Two or more races1.6% · 38
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oros
Oros 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
#12,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,512
+470 bearers (+23.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 1,244 places
2020
#12,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,411
-101 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,628 | 2,042 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,384 | 2,512 | 0.85 | +470 bearers (+23.0%) | Up 1,244 places |
| 2020 | #12,312 | 2,411 | 0.81 | -101 bearers (-4.0%) | Up 72 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 Oros 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 | #12,384 | #12,312 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,512 | 2,411 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.81 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oros bearers went from 2,512 to 2,411 (-4.0% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,384 to #12,312.
FAQ
Oros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oros?
Name Census estimates that about 2,765 living Americans carry the surname Oros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 123,962 residents.
How common is Oros?
Oros ranks #12,312 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 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 2,411 people with the surname Oros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 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 Oros.
Has Oros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oros went from 2,512 recorded bearers to 2,411. That is a decrease of 101 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,384 to #12,312.
What does the Census say about the background of Oros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oros, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 51.3%. The next largest groups are White (45.8%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Oros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (1,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (51.3%), White (45.8%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Oros (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 Oros mean?
A Romanian surname derived from the word "oros," meaning "Russian," likely referring to an ancestor's ethnicity or origin. 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 Oros (0.81 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 Oros?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Oros, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.