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

Ursu, 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 Ursu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ursu in America

Ursu is the 61899th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ursu surname appeared 324 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 Ursu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ursu 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 Ursu

The surname URSU has its origins in Romania, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Romanian word "urs," which means "bear." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who possessed bear-like characteristics or had a connection with bears in some way.

In medieval times, surnames were often adopted from occupations, physical traits, or personal characteristics. It is possible that URSU originated as a descriptive name for someone who worked with bears, such as a bear hunter or trainer, or someone who exhibited traits reminiscent of a bear, like strength or ferocity.

The earliest known record of the URSU surname appears in a 1458 document from Transylvania, a region in central Romania. This document mentions a certain "Ioan Ursu," suggesting that the name was already established by that time.

In the 16th century, there are records of an influential noble family named URSU residing in the region of Moldavia, located in eastern Romania. One notable member of this family was Mihai Ursu, who served as a high-ranking official in the court of the Prince of Moldavia in the late 1500s.

Another famous bearer of the URSU name was Petru Ursu, a renowned scholar and poet from the 17th century. Born in 1587 in the town of Roman, Petru Ursu was a prominent figure in the literary and cultural circles of his time, known for his contributions to Romanian literature and education.

In the 18th century, the URSU surname gained further prominence with the rise of a distinguished military family. Gheorghe Ursu, born in 1732, was a respected general in the Moldavian army, renowned for his bravery and strategic skills during the conflicts with the Ottoman Empire.

Towards the end of the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the URSU name was Ion Ursu, a influential politician and statesman. Born in 1867, he served as a member of the Romanian Parliament and played a crucial role in shaping the country's policies during the turbulent years following World War I.

Throughout its history, the URSU surname has been firmly rooted in Romanian culture and society, with many bearers of this name leaving their mark across various fields, from literature and the arts to military and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ursu

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

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

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

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