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

Orwig, 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 Orwig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orwig in America

Orwig is the 17699th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orwig surname appeared 1,585 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 Orwig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orwig 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 Orwig

The surname Orwig has its origins in the German language, and it is believed to have been derived from the Old German word "Orwig" or "Ohrwig," which means "ear-shaped" or "curved like an ear." This surname likely originated in the German-speaking regions of central and southern Germany during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orwig can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, a person named Hans Orwig is mentioned as a landowner and farmer in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Orwig surname became more prevalent in the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Hesse. Historical records from this period indicate that the name was associated with families involved in agriculture, craftsmanship, and various trades.

In the late 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Orwig (1650-1718) was a Lutheran pastor and theologian who served in the city of Weimar, in present-day Thuringia, Germany. His writings on Protestant theology and sermons influenced the religious landscape of the region.

As the German population began to migrate to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the Orwig surname spread to different regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of Johann Georg Orwig (1732-1810), who immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century and became a successful farmer and landowner in the region.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Heinrich Orwig (1802-1874) was a German-American scholar and educator who founded the Orwig Institute, a prestigious school in Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in promoting German language and culture in the United States.

Another notable individual with the Orwig surname was Wilhelm Orwig (1857-1931), a German-American architect who designed numerous buildings in Chicago and other cities across the Midwestern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Orwig is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, clergy, educators, and architects.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orwig

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

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

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

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