2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ortinau
A habitational surname referring to someone from a place named Ortinau.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Ortinau. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ortinau 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Ortinau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortinau, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ortinau
The surname Ortinau originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Ort," meaning "place" or "location," and the suffix "inau" suggesting a connection to a specific town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ortinau can be found in the historical records of the region now known as Saxony-Anhalt, where it was spelled "Ortenauw" in the late 1500s. This variant spelling suggests that the name may have originated from a place name that no longer exists or has been significantly altered over time.
During the 17th century, the Ortinau name appeared in various church records and land registries across central Germany, particularly in the areas around the cities of Leipzig and Halle. This indicates that the Ortinau family had established roots in these regions and may have been involved in agricultural or trade activities.
One notable figure bearing the Ortinau surname was Johann Friedrich Ortinau, a German composer and organist who lived from 1683 to 1746. He served as the court organist in the city of Weimar and is known for his contributions to the development of Baroque music in Germany.
Another historical figure was Karl Ortinau, born in 1788 in the town of Halberstadt, who became a prominent merchant and philanthropist. He established several charitable foundations and donated significant funds towards the construction of schools and hospitals in his hometown.
In the 19th century, the Ortinau name gained recognition through the work of Friedrich Wilhelm Ortinau, a German geographer and cartographer. His detailed maps and atlases, published between 1820 and 1860, were widely acclaimed for their accuracy and contributed to the advancement of geographical knowledge at the time.
The name Ortinau also appeared in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, suggesting that members of the family may have migrated or established branches in these regions over the centuries.
Throughout its history, the Ortinau surname has maintained a connection to its German roots, reflecting the importance of place and location in its origins. While the specific meaning and derivation of the name may have evolved over time, it continues to serve as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Ortinau family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ortinau
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortinau, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ortinau 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 Ortinau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 110
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ortinau
Ortinau 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Ortinau 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ortinau bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Ortinau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ortinau?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Ortinau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Ortinau?
Ortinau ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Ortinau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Ortinau.
Has Ortinau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ortinau went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Ortinau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortinau, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Ortinau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ortinau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (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 Ortinau (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 Ortinau mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from a place named Ortinau. 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 Ortinau (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 Ortinau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.