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

O'Rourke, 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 O'Rourke surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Rourke in America

O'Rourke is the 2213th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Rourke surname appeared 16,457 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname O'Rourke.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Rourke 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 O'Rourke

The surname OROURKE is of Irish origin, with its roots traceable back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Ruairc," which literally translates to "descendant of Ruarc." The name Ruarc is derived from the Old Irish word "ruadh," meaning red or reddish-brown, suggesting that the original bearer of this name may have had red or reddish hair.

The OROURKE surname is particularly associated with County Leitrim in the province of Connacht, Ireland, where the Ó Ruairc clan held significant power and influence during the medieval period. The clan was one of the most prominent families in the region, and their territory stretched across parts of Counties Leitrim, Roscommon, and Sligo.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention several members of the Ó Ruairc clan, including Fergal Ó Ruairc, who was the King of Conmaicne (a territory in present-day County Leitrim) in the late 12th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the OROURKE surname appears in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Irish Patent Rolls. One notable figure from this time period was Sir Teige O'Rourke, who was knighted by King James I of England in 1609.

Among the notable individuals bearing the OROURKE surname throughout history are:

1. Sir Brian na Samhthach Ó Ruairc (c. 1285 - c. 1360), a prominent Irish prince and military leader who fought against the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

2. Patrick O'Rourke (c. 1640 - c. 1720), an Irish writer and historian who authored several works on Irish history and genealogy.

3. Edmund O'Rourke (1835 - 1879), an Irish-American Catholic priest and missionary who worked among Native American tribes in the western United States.

4. John O'Rourke (1856 - 1946), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.

5. Brendan O'Rourke (1853 - 1938), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the O'Rourke Construction Company in New York City.

The OROURKE surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Lough Rourke (a lake in County Leitrim) and Castlerourke (a townland in County Roscommon), further reflecting the historical presence and influence of the Ó Ruairc clan in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Rourke

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Rourke.

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 O'Rourke 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 O'Rourke 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 O'Rourke was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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