2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ortegel
An Ortegel is a place name designating someone from a particular town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ortegel. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ortegel 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ortegel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ortegel
The surname Ortegel has its origins in Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "ortil," which referred to a small piece of land or a plot. The name may have been initially used as a descriptor for someone who lived near or owned a small plot of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ortegel can be found in the parish records of the town of Nürnberg in Bavaria, where a family by the name of Ortegel was documented in the late 1500s. It is possible that this family played a role in the early spread and establishment of the name throughout the region.
In the 17th century, the name Ortegel appears in various historical records, including tax rolls and land ownership documents, suggesting that families bearing this surname held some level of prominence or status within their communities. Notable examples include Johann Ortegel, a merchant from Augsburg born in 1621, and Anna Ortegel, a landowner from Würzburg whose property transactions were recorded in 1675.
As the centuries progressed, the Ortegel name spread beyond its initial German roots. In the late 18th century, a branch of the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest American bearers of the name was Jacob Ortegel, who was born in 1782 and served as a soldier in the War of 1812.
Throughout the 19th century, the Ortegel surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. Friedrich Ortegel, born in 1821 in Saxony, was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious philosophy. In the same era, Wilhelm Ortegel, born in 1835 in Bavaria, was a prominent businessman and philanthropist whose charitable endeavors left a lasting impact on his local community.
While the Ortegel name may not be as widely known as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the diverse experiences of those who have carried it. From its humble beginnings as a descriptor for small landowners to its later association with scholars, merchants, and community leaders, the name Ortegel has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ortegel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ortegel 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 Ortegel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ortegel
Ortegel 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+9 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 10,770 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 Ortegel 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 | #160,975 | #150,205 | 6.7% |
| Count | 100 | 109 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ortegel bearers went from 100 to 109 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 10,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ortegel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ortegel?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ortegel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ortegel?
Ortegel ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Ortegel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Ortegel.
Has Ortegel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ortegel went from 100 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 9 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ortegel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ortegel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ortegel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (6.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Ortegel (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 Ortegel mean?
An Ortegel is a place name designating someone from a particular town or village. 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 Ortegel (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 Americans have the surname Ortegel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.