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

Ortis, 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 Ortis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ortis in America

Ortis is the 17709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ortis surname appeared 1,584 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ortis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ortis 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 Ortis

The surname Ortis has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "ortiz," which means "small garden." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived near or worked in a small garden or orchard.

Ortis is a variation of the more common Spanish surname Ortiz, which can be traced back to the 11th century. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ortiz can be found in various historical documents from the Iberian Peninsula, such as the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census of lands and their owners.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Ortis was Juan Ortis, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Juan Ponce de León on his expedition to Florida in 1521. Ortis served as the expedition's interpreter and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the land that would later become the United States.

Another notable figure with the surname Ortis was Gaspar Ortis, a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Ortis played a significant role in several battles against the Aztec Empire and was rewarded with land and titles for his service.

In the 17th century, Pedro Ortis de Velasco was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor of the Philippines from 1644 to 1653. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction of several fortifications and worked to strengthen the Spanish presence in the region.

Moving forward to the 18th century, Miguel Ortis y Gómez was a Spanish painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. Born in 1741 in Seville, he studied at the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando and gained recognition for his intricate and detailed artworks.

Another notable figure with the surname Ortis was Jerónimo Ortis de Zárate, a Spanish soldier and writer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his book "La Araucana," which is considered one of the earliest literary works about the conquest of Chile and the Mapuche people.

While the surname Ortis is not as common as its variant Ortiz, it has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Spain and the early days of Spanish exploration and conquest in the Americas. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including explorers, soldiers, noblemen, artists, and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ortis

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

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

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

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