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

Orville, 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 Orville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orville in America

Orville is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orville surname appeared 125 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 Orville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orville 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 Orville

The surname Orville originated in France during the medieval period, deriving its roots from the Old French "orville" or "orval," meaning a fertile valley. This name likely referred to someone who resided in or near such a place. It is thought to have first arisen in the region of Normandy, a historical duchy in northern France.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Orville name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England and its inhabitants commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This reference suggests that individuals bearing this surname had already migrated from France to England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Orville name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, often spelled in slightly different ways, such as Orvile, Orvill, or Orvyle. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of medieval record-keeping.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert d'Orville was recorded as a prominent landowner and knight in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Another early bearer of this name was Sir John Orville, who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century.

Moving into the Renaissance period, a French scholar and traveler named Philippe d'Orville gained recognition for his extensive travels throughout Europe and the Middle East in the late 16th century. His detailed accounts of his journeys provided valuable insights into the cultures and societies of that era.

In the 18th century, a Dutch philologist and classical scholar named Jacques Philippe d'Orville (1696-1751) made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts, publishing several influential works on the subject.

Another notable individual was Wilbur Orville Wright (1867-1912), one of the two Wright brothers who are credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful motor-operated airplane in 1903, ushering in the era of modern aviation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orville

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

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

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

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