Orsi last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Orsi

An Italian surname derived from the Latin term "ursus" meaning "bear".

Orsi, 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 Orsi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orsi in America

Orsi is the 23185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orsi surname appeared 1,100 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 Orsi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orsi 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23185 22753 1.88%
Count 1,100 1,053 4.37%
Proportion per 100k 0.37 0.39 -5.26%

The history of the last name Orsi

The surname Orsi originated in Italy, with its roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "ursus," which means "bear." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who possessed bear-like characteristics or lived in an area where bears were prevalent.

The earliest recorded instances of the Orsi surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. Historical records from this period, such as property deeds and municipal documents, often mention individuals bearing the Orsi name.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Orsi surname was Guido Orsi, a prominent Florentine nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. He was a member of the influential Ghibelline faction and played a significant role in the political affairs of Florence during his time.

Another notable figure was Battista Orsi, a renowned Italian jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1492 to 1560. He authored several influential works on Roman law and served as a professor at the University of Bologna, one of the most prestigious academic institutions of the Renaissance era.

In the 16th century, the Orsi family established themselves as prominent landowners and noblemen in the Marche region of central Italy. One of the most illustrious members of this branch was Giulio Orsi, born in 1537, who served as a military commander and diplomat for the Papal States.

The Orsi surname also gained prominence in the field of arts and culture. One such individual was Lelio Orsi, an Italian painter born in 1511 in Novellara, near Reggio Emilia. He was renowned for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout northern Italy.

Another notable figure was Giovanni Gioseffo Orsi, a Bolognese historian and theologian who lived from 1692 to 1761. He authored several influential works on ecclesiastical history and was highly regarded for his scholarly contributions during the Age of Enlightenment.

Over the centuries, the Orsi surname has spread across various regions of Italy and beyond, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval times, it continues to be a prominent surname in Italy and among Italian diaspora communities worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orsi

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

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 Orsi was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.64% 1,008
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.45% 5
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.00% 11
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.36% 15
Hispanic Origin 5.55% 61

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 Orsi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.64% 94.68% -3.26%
Black 0.45% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.00% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 1.36% 1.04% 26.67%
Hispanic 5.55% 3.61% 42.36%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Orsi last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/orsi-surname-popularity/.

"Orsi last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/orsi-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Orsi last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/orsi-surname-popularity/.

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