2000
#94
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214,683
First available Census row
Per 100,000 79.58
Common Last name
Ortiz
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Ortún," a variant of the personal name Fortunio, meaning "fortunate."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 330,575 Americans carry the last name Ortiz. That puts it at #68 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 96.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,037 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ortiz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ortiz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
331K
1 in 1,037
Census rank
#68
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
96.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
288K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 288,277 bearers of the surname Ortiz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 96.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 68th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortiz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ortiz
The surname Ortiz originated in Spain and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Spanish word "ortiz," which means "gardener" or "orchardist." It is believed to have emerged as an occupational surname during the medieval period, referring to individuals who worked as gardeners or tended orchards.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Ortyz" or "Ortis," reflecting regional variations and linguistic evolution over time. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ortiz can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in regions such as Andalusia and Castile.
One notable historical reference to the name Ortiz is found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a record of land distribution after the reconquest of Seville in 1248. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Ortiz, indicating their presence in the area during that time period.
Among the earliest recorded bearers of the Ortiz surname was Pedro Ortiz de Zúñiga, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Reconquista and the conquest of Granada. Another prominent figure from that era was Juan Ortiz, a Spanish explorer and interpreter who accompanied Hernando de Soto's expedition to Florida in the 16th century.
In the 16th century, Juan Ortiz de Zárate, a Spanish conquistador and explorer, was appointed as the first governor of the Río de la Plata region in present-day Argentina and Paraguay. He played a crucial role in establishing Spanish settlements in the region.
During the 17th century, José Ortiz de Velasco, a Spanish military officer and administrator, served as the governor of New Spain (present-day Mexico) from 1696 to 1701. His tenure was marked by efforts to improve the administration and defense of the territory.
Another notable figure with the surname Ortiz was José Ortiz de Urbina, a Spanish naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Pacific Northwest in the late 18th century, contributing significantly to the exploration and mapping of the region.
Over the centuries, the Ortiz surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, musicians, and politicians. While the name is most prevalent in Spain and Latin American countries with Spanish colonial heritage, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ortiz
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortiz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ortiz 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 Ortiz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.3% · 266,003
- White5.4% · 15,472
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2,352
- Black or African American0.8% · 2,175
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1,158
- Two or more races0.4% · 1,117
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ortiz
Ortiz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#68
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 286,899
+72,216 bearers (+33.6%)
Per 100,000 97.26
Rank movement Up 26 places
2020
#68
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288,277
+1,378 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 96.45
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #94 | 214,683 | 79.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68 | 286,899 | 97.26 | +72,216 bearers (+33.6%) | Up 26 places |
| 2020 | #68 | 288,277 | 96.45 | +1,378 bearers (+0.5%) | No rank change |
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 Ortiz 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 | #68 | #68 | 0.0% |
| Count | 286,899 | 288,277 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 97.26 | 96.45 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ortiz bearers went from 286,899 to 288,277 (+0.5% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #68.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ortiz
FAQ
Ortiz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ortiz?
Name Census estimates that about 330,575 living Americans carry the surname Ortiz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,037 residents.
How common is Ortiz?
Ortiz ranks #68 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 96.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 96 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 288,277 people with the surname Ortiz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (330,575), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 96.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 96.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 96 of them to have the surname Ortiz.
Has Ortiz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ortiz went from 286,899 recorded bearers to 288,277. That is an increase of 1,378 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it stayed at #68.
What does the Census say about the background of Ortiz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ortiz, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ortiz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (266,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ortiz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.3%), White (5.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Ortiz (2000, 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 Ortiz mean?
A Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Ortún," a variant of the personal name Fortunio, meaning "fortunate." 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 Ortiz (96.45 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 people have the surname Ortiz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.