Orson is a boy name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Orson means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Orson across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Orson has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Orson is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “bear cub”. From the Latin ursus meaning bear, borne by filmmaker Orson Welles.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 2,714 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,308 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 33 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Orson per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2023 (132/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (115/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2021 (5/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2019 (5/yr).
Orson is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2023, when it ranked #2,957 nationally (given to 243 babies that year).
Arsene · Arsen · Orison · Arzona · Arson · Arsyn · Arseny · Arseno
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