Orr Family History

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Orr Name Meaning

Northern English, Scottish, and northern Irish: from the Old Norse byname Orri ‘blackcock’ (the male black grouse). Scottish: nickname for someone with a sallow complexion, from Gaelic odhar ‘pale’, ‘dun’. English: topographic name for someone who lived on a shore or ridge, from Old English ora ‘shore’, ‘hill-slope’, ‘flat-topped ridge’, or a habitational name from a place named with this word (see Ore).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Ore, Torr, Ord, Hoar, Ort, Mohr, Corn, Rohr, Borr, Ori

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Orr Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Orr name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Orr. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    50%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    22%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Norway

    3%

  • Sweden

    2%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Orr Family Origin

Where is the Orr family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Orr families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Orr family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Orr families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 131 Orr families living in Ohio. This was about 17% of all the recorded Orr's in the USA. Ohio had the highest population of Orr families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Orr surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Orr

    Orr Family Occupations

    What did your Orr ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Orr family was Farming. The most common Orr occupation in the USA was Farmer. 41% of Orr's were Farmers. Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Orr.

    View Census data for Orr | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      41%

    • Keeping House

      6%

    • Laborer

      5%

    • Farming

      4%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Orr ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Orr Historical Records

    What Orr family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 327,000 census records available for the last name Orr. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Orr census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Orr

    Passenger List

    There are 49,000 immigration records available for the last name Orr. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Orr immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 58,000 military records available for the last name Orr. For the veterans among your Orr ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Orr military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Orr family history.

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    Orr Life Expectancy

    What is the average Orr lifespan?

    Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Orr life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Orr in 1944 was 32, and 75 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Orr

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Orr ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Orr Family Ancestors

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