Show ContentsOrtis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's generation of the Ortis family bears a name that was brought to England by the wave of emigration that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old English given name Aldus. Ald, the first part of the name, means old.

Early Origins of the Ortis family

The surname Ortis was first found in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire in the south east of England, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Soon after, Rudolphus Aldous was recorded in Yorkshire in 1168 as holding considerable estates and lands, and Robert Aldous was recorded in Norfolk in 1230.

"Aldous is an ancient east country name which at present has its principal home in and around Harleston in this county, though still found in Ipswich and Stowmarket. Aldus was the name of an Ipswich bailiff in 1654 (W.), and the name of Aldhuse was established in Stowmarket in the reign of Elizabeth (H.). In the forms of Aldus and Alduse it occurred in the reign of Edward I. in Norfolk, Notts, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire (H. R.). We learn from Blomefield's "Norfolk" that Aldous was the name of the rector of Wreningham in that county in 1393, and that Thomas Aldous of Starston, Norfolk, died in 1740 at the age of 100: Aldhouse is also an old Norfolk name." 1

Early History of the Ortis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ortis research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1284 is included under the topic Early Ortis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ortis Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ortis have been found, including Aldis, Aldous, Aldhouse, Aldus, Aldiss, Oldis and many more.

Early Notables of the Ortis family

More information is included under the topic Early Ortis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ortis Ranking

In the United States, the name Ortis is the 14,520th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Ortis migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ortis were among those contributors:

Ortis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Felipe Ortis, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1830 3
  • Manuel Ortis, aged 28, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 3
  • Juan Ortis, who landed in Spanish Main in 1836 3
  • Alonso Ortis, who landed in America in 1837 3
  • Jose Ortis, aged 26, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1848 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Ortis Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alberto Ortis, who arrived in Texas in 1907 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Ortis (post 1700) +

  • Frank C. Ortis, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1996, 2000, 2008; Mayor of Pembroke Pines, Florida, 2009 4


  1. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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