Orson
Boy · OR-son · French
Orson is a boys' name of French origin, meaning “bear cub”. In 2025 it ranked 408th for boys in the UK (114 babies) and 1,425th for boys in the US (126 babies).
What does Orson mean?
French: Norman nickname from Latin ursus, bear
“bear cub”
Known from the medieval romance Valentine and Orson, about a boy raised by a bear, and from film-maker Orson Welles.
- Say it
- OR-son
More on Wiktionary.
Is Orson a girl's or a boy's name?
Orson is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 114 boys in the UK and 126 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Orson in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #408among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 114about 1 in 2,600 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 31% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 114 boys in the UK were named Orson, making it the 408th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 438th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 124 boys.
Half of all the boys named Orson in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 379th in England and Wales and 560th in Scotland.
Orson in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 114 | #408 |
| 2024 | 115 | #404 |
| 2023 | 111 | #407 |
| 2022 | 104 | #442 |
| 2021 | 124 | #400 |
| 2020 | 102 | #438 |
| 2019 | 87 | #508 |
| 2018 | 71 | #581 |
| 2017 | 82 | #535 |
| 2016 | 62 | #640 |
| 2015 | 86 | #506 |
| 2014 | 65 | #605 |
| 2013 | 48 | #746 |
| 2012 | 60 | #642 |
| 2011 | 39 | #849 |
| 2010 | 42 | #786 |
| 2009 | 36 | #864 |
| 2008 | 21 | #1,249 |
| 2007 | 24 | #1,102 |
| 2006 | 19 | #1,207 |
| 2005 | 18 | #1,216 |
| 2004 | 6 | #2,399 |
| 2003 | 9 | #1,723 |
| 2002 | 10 | #1,490 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 6 | #1,977 |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
| 1998 | 5 | #2,170 |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 3 | #2,949 |
How popular is Orson in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,425among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 126about 1 in 14,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 126 boys in the US were named Orson, making it the 1,425th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,568th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 132 boys.
Half of all the boys named Orson in the US since 1880 were born between 1945 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 131 boys in the US were given Orson or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,266, up from #1,425 for this spelling alone.
- Orson 126
- Orsen 5
Orson in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 126 | #1,425 |
| 2024 | 121 | #1,487 |
| 2023 | 132 | #1,397 |
| 2022 | 127 | #1,433 |
| 2021 | 98 | #1,678 |
| 2020 | 104 | #1,568 |
| 2019 | 105 | #1,582 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2,188 |
| 2017 | 73 | #1,958 |
| 2016 | 90 | #1,724 |
| 2015 | 66 | #2,112 |
| 2014 | 53 | #2,400 |
| 2013 | 42 | #2,761 |
| 2012 | 31 | #3,447 |
| 2011 | 34 | #3,234 |
| 2010 | 28 | #3,707 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4,276 |
| 2008 | 18 | #5,063 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4,241 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5,777 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5,869 |
| 2004 | 7 | #8,921 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6,251 |
| 2002 | 12 | #5,718 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6,928 |
| 2000 | 8 | #7,409 |
| 1999 | 8 | #7,132 |
| 1998 | 7 | #7,553 |
| 1997 | 7 | #7,275 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 8 | #6,366 |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 9 | #5,513 |
| 1990 | 7 | #6,408 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 14 | #3,518 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 7 | #5,142 |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 10 | #3,882 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,232 |
| 1981 | 12 | #3,410 |
| 1980 | 13 | #3,255 |
| 1979 | 12 | #3,356 |
| 1978 | 12 | #3,214 |
| 1977 | 11 | #3,384 |
| 1976 | 18 | #2,416 |
| 1975 | 14 | #2,749 |
| 1974 | 19 | #2,197 |
| 1973 | 9 | #3,443 |
| 1972 | 8 | #3,620 |
| 1971 | 19 | #2,125 |
| 1970 | 24 | #1,793 |
| 1969 | 15 | #2,216 |
| 1968 | 9 | #2,906 |
| 1967 | 8 | #2,984 |
| 1966 | 13 | #2,215 |
| 1965 | 14 | #2,177 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 17 | #1,956 |
| 1962 | 11 | #2,502 |
| 1961 | 10 | #2,704 |
| 1960 | 8 | #3,075 |
| 1959 | 8 | #3,036 |
| 1958 | 21 | #1,723 |
| 1957 | 17 | #1,951 |
| 1956 | 19 | #1,820 |
| 1955 | 8 | #2,962 |
| 1954 | 14 | #2,113 |
| 1953 | 11 | #2,390 |
| 1952 | 13 | #2,152 |
| 1951 | 13 | #2,134 |
| 1950 | 15 | #1,940 |
| 1949 | 12 | #2,224 |
| 1948 | 8 | #2,787 |
| 1947 | 14 | #2,075 |
| 1946 | 18 | #1,691 |
| 1945 | 16 | #1,696 |
| 1944 | 18 | #1,629 |
| 1943 | 9 | #2,562 |
| 1942 | 7 | #2,939 |
| 1941 | 13 | #1,997 |
| 1940 | 22 | #1,433 |
| 1939 | 16 | #1,712 |
| 1938 | 9 | #2,479 |
| 1937 | 11 | #2,197 |
| 1936 | 13 | #1,964 |
| 1935 | 8 | #2,719 |
| 1934 | 16 | #1,783 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 11 | #2,313 |
| 1931 | 17 | #1,770 |
| 1930 | 13 | #2,178 |
| 1929 | 16 | #1,933 |
| 1928 | 15 | #2,048 |
| 1927 | 9 | #2,911 |
| 1926 | 18 | #1,846 |
| 1925 | 19 | #1,805 |
| 1924 | 26 | #1,492 |
| 1923 | 26 | #1,460 |
| 1922 | 21 | #1,695 |
| 1921 | 11 | #2,631 |
| 1920 | 18 | #1,885 |
| 1919 | 29 | #1,321 |
| 1918 | 23 | #1,538 |
| 1917 | 22 | #1,528 |
| 1916 | 21 | #1,548 |
| 1915 | 24 | #1,372 |
| 1914 | 15 | #1,607 |
| 1913 | 25 | #995 |
| 1912 | 10 | #1,618 |
| 1911 | 8 | #1,289 |
| 1910 | 7 | #1,313 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 7 | #857 |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 7 | #884 |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 8 | #825 |
| 1895 | 7 | #871 |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 7 | #860 |
| 1891 | 5 | #962 |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 7 | #815 |
| 1887 | 6 | #819 |
| 1886 | 5 | #959 |
| 1885 | 6 | #835 |
| 1884 | 6 | #848 |
| 1883 | 12 | #527 |
| 1882 | 9 | #652 |
| 1881 | 7 | #705 |
| 1880 | 7 | #745 |
Names like Orson
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
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