Explore the Family Name Or

The meaning of Or

1. Jewish (Israeli): from Hebrew or ‘light’, a Hebraicized form of various original Ashkenazic surnames. 2. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 柯, see Ke 1. 3. Chinese: Hokkien form of the surname 胡, see Hu 1.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Or in the United States?

The surname "Or" has seen an increase in popularity in the United States, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, "Or" was ranked the 41,859th most popular surname, with a total of 489 occurrences. By 2010, it had risen to become the 35,671st most common name, representing a growth of 14.78% over the decade. The count of individuals bearing this surname also increased by 28.83% to reach 630. When measured as a proportion per 100,000 residents, the surname saw an uptick from 0.18 to 0.21, marking a 16.67% rise.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#41,859	#35,671	14.78%
Count	489	630	28.83%
Proportion per 100k	0.18	0.21	16.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Or

Ethnic identity linked to the surname "Or" also shifted between 2000 and 2010, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of bearers identified as Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.60%, but this figure dipped slightly to 70.63% by 2010. A significant change was observed in those identifying as two or more races, which dropped dramatically from 3.89% to 2.06%. Meanwhile, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as White, from 11.25% in 2000 to 16.35% in 2010. The Hispanic demographic saw a slight decrease, moving from 9.20% to 8.89%. There were no bearers of the surname "Or" who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native during both census years.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	72.6%	70.63%	-2.71%
White	11.25%	16.35%	45.33%
Hispanic	9.2%	8.89%	-3.37%
Two or More Races	3.89%	2.06%	-47.04%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%