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

Orrison, 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 Orrison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orrison in America

Orrison is the 38439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orrison surname appeared 576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Orrison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orrison 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 Orrison

The surname Orrison is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old Norse personal name "Ørri" or "Orri," meaning "foreign warrior" or "outsider." This name may have been given to individuals who came from other regions or countries and settled in Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orrison can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Orisone," which could be an early spelling variation of the modern surname.

In the 15th century, the surname Orrison was recorded in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Moray. During this time, the name was sometimes associated with place names, such as "Orrisontown" or "Orrisonville," suggesting that some individuals with the surname may have been landowners or established settlements bearing their name.

One notable individual with the surname Orrison was John Orrison, a Scottish merchant who lived in the late 16th century. Records indicate that he was involved in trade between Scotland and the Netherlands, and his name appears in several business transactions from that period.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Orrison was William Orrison, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the 17th century. He served as a minister in the Church of Scotland and was known for his involvement in religious debates and publications during the time of the Scottish Reformation.

In the 18th century, the Orrison surname gained prominence with the birth of James Orrison (1725-1803), a Scottish philosopher and writer. He authored several works on moral philosophy and was influential in the intellectual circles of his time.

Another notable bearer of the Orrison surname was Elizabeth Orrison (1786-1854), a Scottish poet and novelist. Her literary works, which explored themes of love, nature, and Scottish culture, were well-received during the Romantic era.

As the centuries passed, the Orrison surname spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing the name immigrating to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orrison

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

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

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

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