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

Orzo, 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 Orzo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orzo in America

Orzo is the 120187th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orzo surname appeared 144 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 Orzo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orzo 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 Orzo

The surname Orzo is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "orzo," which means "barley." The name is thought to have first emerged in the 14th century in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, where barley was a prominent crop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orzo can be found in a document from 1387 in the town of Perugia, where a certain Giacomo Orzo is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name may have originated among families involved in agriculture or the cultivation of barley.

In the 15th century, the Orzo family became prominent in the city of Siena, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One notable member was Antonio Orzo (1420-1489), a respected merchant and banker who served as an advisor to the city's government.

The name Orzo also appears in several historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including tax records and census documents from various Italian cities. For instance, in 1572, a Francesco Orzo is listed as a resident of Florence, indicating the spread of the name beyond its original regions.

Interestingly, the name Orzo shares similarities with the Italian word "orzo" (meaning "bear"), which may have contributed to its adoption as a surname in some cases. However, the direct connection to the grain barley remains the most widely accepted origin.

Notable individuals with the surname Orzo throughout history include:

1. Giovanni Orzo (1564-1638), an Italian architect and engineer known for his work on several churches and public buildings in Rome.

2. Lucrezia Orzo (1628-1698), a renowned Italian painter and portraitist active in Naples during the Baroque period.

3. Marcello Orzo (1715-1782), an Italian composer and violinist who served as the court musician for the Duchy of Parma.

4. Giuseppe Orzo (1802-1876), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy.

5. Emilia Orzo (1867-1942), an Italian author and feminist activist, known for her novels and essays advocating for women's rights and education.

While the name Orzo may have evolved and spread to other regions over time, its roots can be traced back to the agricultural heartlands of central Italy, where it emerged as a surname closely tied to the cultivation of barley.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orzo

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

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

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

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