Orson

Did you know?

A few things about Orson you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Orson

Orson Welles

American actor and filmmaker (1915–1985)

Choose Orson and your child shares a first name with Orson Welles, an American actor and filmmaker. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Orson, like who?” Orson Welles's Wikipedia article is available in 113 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Orson Welles on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 13,550 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Orson, 126 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Orson would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryOrson has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Orsons, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 1883, when it reached #527.
• 📈Then vs nowOrson is 18× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 243,902 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 13,550.
• 🚀TrendOrson has climbed 143 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,425. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedOrson is most popular in Washington, where it ranks #737, followed by Minnesota (#807) and Colorado (#849). It's in the top 1,000 in 4 states.
• 💬MeaningIn French, Orson means “bear cub”. Our records link it to English and Latin roots.

About the name Orson

Orson is a boy name of English and Latin origin meaning “bear cub”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with O and ending in “-son”. US birth records list Orson for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 129 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1883, when it ranked #527 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,425, with 126 babies.

Origin:English namesLatin names