The Orr surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 44,388 people carried this name — #774 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,640 people counted. That is up 2% from 43,666 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Orr surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Orr’.

An early record he cites: Matilda Orre, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 573 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 73 births for the Orr name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim, Down, Londonderry, and Tyrone.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 65
Leinster 5
Munster 2
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 40 people named Orr live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 30
Tucumán 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

62 people named Orr is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 62

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland, 1880s

Orr was 13 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 769. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “South of the Forth and the Clyde.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 593 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Orr was recorded 99 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 261st most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 173. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

101 families named Orr, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 591 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 27
North Carolina 17
New York 12
Maine 10
Maryland 8
New Hampshire 7
Virginia 6
South Carolina 6
Vermont 4
Massachusetts 4

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 256 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Orr in American newspapers,
1905–1920.

Newspaper page from The Columbus Commercial carrying the name Orr
The Columbus Commercial 1905-03-07
Newspaper page from The Western News carrying the name Orr
The Western News 1910-05-01
Newspaper page from The Nevada County Picayune carrying the name Orr
The Nevada County Picayune 1920-12-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Orr in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

106,446 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Orr. The most, 18,689, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 37,534
New South Wales 30,353
Queensland 14,954
Western Australia 11,165
South Australia 6,602
Tasmania 5,199
ACT (Canberra) 496
Northern Territory 50

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Orr.

Who carried it

People named Orr,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Stephens Orr d. 1990 · photographer
  • William Somerville Orr d. 1873 · printer
  • Ellen Orr d. 1972 · physician
  • John D Orr d. 1822
  • Annie Morton Boyd d. 1931
  • Zoe Jane Orr d. 2008

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Orr,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,808 records

4,808 records of the Orr name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,593
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 891
  • Other U.S. records 2,324
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Raymond Franklin Orr

    Born 1947; from Santa Cruz, California. U.S. Marine Corps, communication center operator; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Burl G. Orr

    Born 1920 in Missouri. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks; farm hand from Pike County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, Vandalia, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Isabella Orr

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 20; servant. From Tyrone, Ireland; bound for Philadelphia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 4,808 records for Orr in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia2,759 records

2,759 records of the Orr name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,571
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 471
  • Other Australian records 717
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Orr

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Kinnear, sailing from Dublin in 1848. Native of Derry. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Orr

    Died 1930 in Public Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1930.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Orr

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Isabella, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,759 records for Orr in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada374 records

374 records of the Orr name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 142
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 67
  • Other Canadian records 165
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Annie L. Orr

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 42; buried at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Orr

    Came to Ontario in 1880 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Brampton, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Brian Leslie Orr

    Buried in 1966 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 18.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 374 records for Orr in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom175 records

175 records of the Orr name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 119
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 41
  • Other British records 15
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record John Mackenzie Orr

    Born 1897 at Bishopmill; farm servant. Died 1917. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Orr

    Buried in 1954 at Strathblane Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 89.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alexander Thomson Orr

    Will proved in 1919; of Holyhead, Anglesey.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 175 records for Orr in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand54 records

54 records of the Orr name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 46
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 5
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gwendolyn Euphemia Orr

    Died 1957, aged 50; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frederick Stanley Orr

    Died 1951, aged 82; buried at Rai Valley Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record L. Orr

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 54 records for Orr in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands34 records

34 records of the Orr name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 18
  • Dutch population registers 15
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alexina Jane Orr

    Died 1941 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 48.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Orr

    Died 1845 in Rotterdam, aged 36.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Donald Albert Orr

    Married in 1946 in Rhenen.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 34 records for Orr in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Orr name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sally Orr

    Died 1869, aged 79; buried at Clontuskert - St Matthews (CoI), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Orr name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Susan Marion Orr

    Born 1933 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Fréjus (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Orr.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Orr is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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