Show ContentsOrt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Ort is derived from the High German word "ort," meaning "high point." The name was likely first borne by someone living at the end of a street or a village.

Early Origins of the Ort family

The surname Ort was first found in Wertheim, Main, where Orto of Mendfeld is recorded to have been living in 1260. Another early instance of the name dates back to 1271, when Thietrich an dem Orte was recorded as being a resident of Basel.

Early History of the Ort family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ort research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1271, 1377, 1698 and 1783 are included under the topic Early Ort History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ort Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ort, Orte, Orto, Ohrt, Orthmann, Ohrtmann, Ordemann and many more.

Early Notables of the Ort family

Prominent figures of the time who bore the name Ort were

  • Nicholas dictus Ort, who was the Hospital Master in Offenburg in 1377, Heinrich Orth, a German theologian living in the mid-sixteenth century, and Johann Philipp Orth (1698-1783), a legal expert


United States Ort migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ort Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • A Cath Ort, who landed in America in 1702 1
  • Hans Jacob Ort, who landed in New York in 1709 1
  • Baltzer Ort, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 1
  • Johannes Ort, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 1
  • John Geo Ort, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1764 1
Ort Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ludwig Ort, who landed in America in 1832 1
  • Juan Ort, who arrived in Spanish Main in 1836 1
  • Wilhelm Ort, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1858 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Ort (post 1700) +

  • Marcela L. Ort, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1984; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1996, 2000; Chair of Montcalm County Democratic Party, 2003 2
  • Lewis Ort, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1960 2


The Ort Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sine macula
Motto Translation: Without stain.


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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