Boys' name · since 1916
Orpheus
81 babies named Orpheus in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1968. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #18,821 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 81
- born since 1916
- 1960s
- peak decade
Orpheus is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 81 have been recorded since 1916.
Orpheus has 81 recorded births among boys since 1916, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2024.
- #18,821 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 81 born since 1916
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Orpheus ranks #18,821 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 81 born since 1916, peaking in the 1960s.
- #18,821 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 81
- born since 1916
- 1960s
- peak decade
Orpheus's 81 recorded births place it above 58.57% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Illinois.
Orpheus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Orpheus's SSA record in two at 1973 and the more recent half accounts for 47% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 53%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1916, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1968 peak of 11, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Orpheus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2024
- Peak year (1968)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Orpheus by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (27 births, 33% of the file).
1960s was Orpheus's strongest decade.
27 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Orpheus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s
1920s
11 births
- 1960s
1960s
27 births
- 1970s
1970s
21 births
- 1980s
1980s
12 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 27 births (33% of all-time use).
Orpheus by state
Where Orpheus concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 5 | 6.2% |
5 of 81 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Orpheus most popular? ▼
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What to do with Orpheus's data
- Orpheus's decade-level peak was the 1960s (27 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Orpheuss (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Orpheus
Nearby Names Like Orpheus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Orpheus
Compare Orpheus side by side: Orpheus vs Orphus
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Orpheus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1968)
Similar record span (~108 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1916–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Orpheus 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 August 2026.