Total births
23,120
Boys' name · since 1880
Orion
23,120 babies named Orion in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #325
- among boys today
- 23,120
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
23,120 babies have been named Orion since 1880, making it today's #325 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Orion recorded 23,120 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #325 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #325 among boys today
- 23,120 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Orion is currently the #325 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 23,120 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #325
- among boys today
- 23,120
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Orion vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#325
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
37% of everyone ever named Orion was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
1,152 babies were named Orion in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Orion compares
23,120 Top 5% higher than 95% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Orion's all-time total is 63x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Orion | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 23,120 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,152 | 23 | 22,252 |
Orion's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Orion splits its recorded history at 1960: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2018 peak of 1,152 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Orion at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#325
Active since
1880
Orion popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 1,152
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Orion popularity over time - girls
630 total births recorded since 1917 (Orion as girls' name)
Orion by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Orion's strongest decade.
8,595 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 37% of all-time use.
Orion births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 34
1880s
34 births
- 1890s 49
1890s
49 births
- 1900s 37
1900s
37 births
- 1910s 192
1910s
192 births
- 1920s 281
1920s
281 births
- 1930s 154
1930s
154 births
- 1940s 121
1940s
121 births
- 1950s 84
1950s
84 births
- 1960s 82
1960s
82 births
- 1970s 500
1970s
500 births
- 1980s 733
1980s
733 births
- 1990s 1,852
1990s
1,852 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,367 births
- 2010s
2010s
8,595 births
- 2020s
2020s
6,039 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 8,595 births (37% of all-time use).
How Orion compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Orion's total volume
Orion vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Orion by state
Where Orion concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,382 | 14.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,574 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,129 | 4.9% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,028 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Washington | | 947 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Colorado | | 810 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Arizona | | 740 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 698 | 3.0% |
California share of Orion's total US births 14.6%
Even split
3,382 of 23,120 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Orion appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Orion? ▼
23,120 babies have been named Orion since 1880. It currently ranks #325 among boys. The peak year was 2018 with 1,152 births.
When was Orion most popular? ▼
Orion was most popular in the 2010s decade with 8,595 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Orion most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Orion are California (3,382 births), Texas (1,574 births), Florida (1,129 births).
How long has the name Orion been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Orion since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Orion? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Orin, Orie, Oris, Ori, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Orion's data
- Orion's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (8,595 total births) through the 2020s (6,039) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Orions (3,382 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Orion
Nearby Names Like Orion
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Orion
Orin Boy
#2236 6,283 births
Orie Boy
#12358 1,727 births
Oris Boy
#10976 1,661 births
Ori Boy
#1561 1,619 births
Orian Boy
#4905 725 births
Compare Orion side by side: Orion vs Orin Orion vs Orie Orion vs Oris
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Orion
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Orion: #325 Boys' Name - 23,120 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/orion. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Orion draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.