2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Orphe
A rare surname derived from a Greek term related to orphans or solitude.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Orphe. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Orphe 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Orphe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Orphe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Orphe
The surname ORPHE has its roots in England, with records dating back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "orfe," which means "inheritance" or "possessions." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who inherited a substantial amount of property or wealth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ORPHE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, where a person named William Orphe is mentioned. Additionally, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list a Hugo Orphe residing in Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the ORPHE name appeared in various historical records across different regions of England. For example, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 list a Johannes Orphe, while the Feet of Fines for Surrey from 1396 mention a Thomas Orphe.
During the late 15th century, the ORPHE surname seemed to have gained prominence in the county of Somerset. This can be seen in the records of the Somerset Lay Subsidy Rolls from 1483, which include several individuals with the ORPHE surname, such as Richard Orphe and John Orphe.
One notable bearer of the ORPHE name was Sir Thomas Orphe (1520-1591), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in local affairs and was known for his involvement in various legal disputes over land ownership.
Another individual of historical significance was Edward Orphe (1678-1743), a renowned architect from Gloucestershire who was responsible for designing several churches and grand houses in the region during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, the ORPHE surname could be found across various parts of England, with concentrations in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable figure from this period was William Orphe (1812-1887), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Bristol, who made significant contributions to the development of the city's infrastructure and education system.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the ORPHE surname have also been documented, including Orfe, Orffe, and Orffi. These alternative spellings were likely influenced by regional dialects and the variations in pronunciation of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Orphe
Among Census respondents with the surname Orphe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Orphe 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 Orphe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.3% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Orphe
Orphe appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,736 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,736 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 Orphe 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 | #147,253 | #152,989 | -3.9% |
| Count | 112 | 105 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Orphe bearers went from 112 to 105 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,736 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #152,989.
FAQ
Orphe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Orphe?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Orphe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Orphe?
Orphe ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Orphe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Orphe.
Has Orphe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Orphe went from 112 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Orphe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Orphe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Orphe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Orphe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Orphe (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 Orphe mean?
A rare surname derived from a Greek term related to orphans or solitude. 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 Orphe (0.04 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 have the surname Orphe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.