boy's name

Orson

  • Origin Norman
  • Gender Boy
  • Syllables 2
  • Letters 5
  • Popularity Uncommon
  • Births on record 4,584

England and Wales

#384

2025 births

Orson is a boy's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 126 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

  • Orson is a name of Norman origin.
  • Peaked in 2023, when 132 babies were given the name.
  • It has been rising over the past decade.
  • Today about 1 in 26,312 babies in the United States is given this name.
  • 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.

Orson over time

Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.

708
'80 '90 '00 '10 '20 '30 '40 '50 '60 '70 '80 '90 '00 '10 '20
Show the numbers
Births named Orson by decade in the United States
Decade Births
1880s 65
1890s 39
1900s 7
1910s 184
1920s 179
1930s 126
1940s 137
1950s 139
1960s 111
1970s 146
1980s 89
1990s 61
2000s 138
2010s 585
2020s (to 2025) 708

How popular is Orson?

In 2025, Orson was given to 126 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Where Orson is used

England & Wales #384 109 in 2025
Scotland #610 5 in 2023
Ireland #1,008 3 in 2024
Canada #1,141 22 in 2024
United States #1,435 126 in 2025
France #2,161 15 in 2025

The bar shows how near the top of each country's list the name sits, on a scale where #1 fills the row and #1,000 is a sliver. The figures beside it are the real rank and the babies recorded that year.

US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.

Names that peaked alongside Orson

These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.

Parents who like Orson also like

Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Orson over the last century — the same taste, a different name.

Sibling names for Orson

Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Orson — the two things that make a sibling set grate.

Common questions about Orson

How popular is the name Orson?

In 2025, Orson was given to 126 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Is Orson a girl's or a boy's name?

Orson is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.

How many syllables are in Orson?

Orson has 2 syllables.

When was Orson most popular?

Orson peaked in 2023, when 132 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.

Is Orson a good name?

That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Orson currently ranks #384 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.