How Many People Are Named Ordell?
An estimated 37 people in the United States have the first name Ordell. It is used for both genders, with 77.7% male. The average bearer is 85 years old, and Ordell peaked in popularity in 1923 with 18 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ordell as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ordell paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 85, Ordell is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1951.
- Ordell is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
37
About 1 in 9,263,631 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
77.7% confidence
Average Age
85
years old
Peak Year
1923
18 births
Total Registered
238
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ordell
Ordell is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (77.7%) and females (22.3%). Out of 238 total births registered, 185 were male and 53 were female.
Ordell as a male name
Ranked #3,230 in 1948
7 male births in 1948
Peak: 1922 (12 births)
Ordell as a female name
Ranked #3,958 in 1930
7 female births in 1930
Peak: 1915 (9 births)
Ordell in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 149 people with the first name Ordell, which placed it at #45,502 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ordell was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 149 people with this name in that snapshot, 81.2% were male and 18.8% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 77.7% of the time.
Census Count
149
people with this name
Census Rank
#45,502
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.05
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ordell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (53.64%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (30.46%) and American Indian and Alaska Native (6.62%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ordell in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ordell.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 53.64% | 81 |
| Black | 30.46% | 46 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 6.62% | 10 |
| Hispanic | 4.64% | 7 |
| Two or More Races | 3.97% | 6 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.66% | 1 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ordell: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ordell span from the 1910s to the 1940s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 100 babies were registered. While Ordell is less common than at its peak in the 1920s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Ordell by Decade
How has Ordell tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ordell by State
Ordell + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ordell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ordell
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
Ordell: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ordell?
We estimate approximately 37 people named Ordell are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 9,263,631 Americans share this first name.
Is Ordell a common name?
Ordell is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 49.8% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 238 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ordell most popular?
Ordell reached peak popularity in 1923, when 18 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ordell is approximately 85 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ordell in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 149 people with the first name Ordell. That placed it at #45,502 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.05 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ordell was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ordell?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ordell was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 81.2% male and 18.8% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ordell?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ordell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (53.64%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (30.46%) and American Indian and Alaska Native (6.62%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ordell a male name?
Ordell is predominantly male. 77.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ordell have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ordell peaked in 1923, and the average living bearer is about 85 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ordell Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ordell Smith, Ordell Johnson, Ordell Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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