Orr Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Orr last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Orr last name
Meaning of the Orr last name: dun, sallow. Orr is an old Scottish surname of Renfrewshire, most common around Lochwinnoch. It is usually explained from Gaelic odhar, "dun, sallow", a nickname for complexion. Families with this last name crossed to Ulster and became numerous in Antrim, Down, Derry and Tyrone. A curious detail of this surname origin: at three letters, Orr is one of the shortest Scottish surnames still in common use.
Arms associated with the Orr name
In Scottish heraldry relatives carry their own differenced versions of a coat of arms, so arms associated with the Orr name vary from one line to another.
Get your full Orr family history
This is only a glimpse of the Orr story. The full Orr history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Orr coat of arms. Get the full Orr report.
Orr name FAQ
What does the Orr name mean?
Dun, sallow. Common variants include Ore, Oar, Orre.
Where does the Orr surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Northern Ireland and Canada.
Is there a Orr coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Orr coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).