Orion
Orion is both a surname and a male given name usually derived from the character from Greek mythology or the constellation named for the character. The name has increased in usage in recent years along with other mythological names. Notable persons with that name include:
- Greek Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Orion
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Orion is both a surname and a male given name usually derived from the character from Greek mythology or the constellation named for the character. The name has increased in usage in recent years along with other mythological names. Notable persons with that name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Greek Mythology
The Story of Orion
Orion first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2018: 1,152 births, good for #300 nationwide. About 36% of every Orion on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Orion ranks #345 for baby boys with 997 births, gradually falling (-7%). All told, over 24K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Orion
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Orion of Thebes (died c. 460), grammarian scholar in Ancient Egypt
- Orion M. Barber (1857–1930), American politician from Vermont
- Orion Ben , British actress
- Orion H. Cheney (1869–1939), American lawyer and banker
- Orion Clemens (1825–1897), American politician and brother of Mark Twain
- Orion R. Farrar (1866–1929), American composer
- Orion Gallin (1928-2021), Israeli discus thrower
- Orion Hindawi (born 1980), American software entrepreneur and billionaire
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Orion
Phonetically similar names — useful when Orion is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Orion
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About the name Orion
Orion is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 24K births in the dataset. Orion's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #300. Use the chart and map above to compare Orion's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "O" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.