Orville

Orville - A very unique male name

Orville appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #143. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Orville and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Orville? 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 Orville. The baby boy name Orville was given to 5 baby boys in 1995, ranking #3425 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 348,387 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Orville peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 119.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Orville, 1-5?

Orville is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Orville is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,680 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,680.

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 Orville is where you live.

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Orville origin and meaning

French surname — disputed

A transferred French surname and place name; the gloss 'golden town' (or + ville) is a folk etymology, not an established derivation

Orville is a French-surname name that America took up in the Wright brothers era, peaking in 1920 and totalling 28,670 births. It has no row in 2020 or 2025.

Origin uncertain

Orville is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Orville

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

Orval / Orvil / Orvel /

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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 Orville

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 Orville 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 Orville?

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

OR-vil · /ˈɔrvɪl/

Around the world

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

Famous bearers

• Orville Wright — Co-inventor of the aeroplane with his brother Wilbur (1871–1948) Historical
• Orville Redenbacher — Popcorn entrepreneur (1907–1995) Historical

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

A name bookended by flight and popcorn — both bearers amiable, both firmly of another century.

Worth knowing

• The 'golden town' meaning is folk etymology; Orville Redenbacher's popcorn is a strong commercial echo