Orion

Orion - A very unique male name

Orion appeared on the charts for the first time in 1921 on position #1944. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Orion and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Orion? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Orion. The baby boy name Orion was given to 986 baby boys in 2025, ranking #334 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,487 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Orion peaked in popularity 8 years ago in 2018 on position 299.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Orion, 1-5?

Orion is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Orion is currently topping the baby name charts in Oregon at position #126 - and is the least popular in South Carolina at position #839.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Orion is where you live.

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Orion origin and meaning

Greek, mythological

Uncertain — Orion is the mythological hunter's name; its Greek root meaning is not established

Orion is the great hunter of Greek myth, placed among the stars as the constellation. The name's own Greek derivation is unknown, despite attempts to link it to words for dawn or boundary. It has been in US data since 1921 and peaked in 2018.

Origin uncertain

Orion is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Orion, pop culture references for the name Orion and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Orion

We've found the following names that sound similar to Orion, sorted by popularity.

Oren / Oran / Orrin / Orin / Orhan / Oryan / Orman / Orian / Oryn /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Orion

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Orion a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Orion?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

oh-RY-un · /oʊˈraɪən/
Most say oh-RY-un; aw-REE-on and OR-ee-un are also heard.

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

Mythological

Why parents choose it

Orion offers a big, starry image in a short name — mythology without the weight of a god's name.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation is less settled than it looks, and the constellation is the dominant association.