Total births
2,714
Boys' name · since 1880
Orson
2,714 babies named Orson in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1488
- among boys today
- 2,714
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Orson is the #1488 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,714 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Orson recorded 2,714 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1488 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1488 among boys today
- 2,714 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 90% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Orson is currently the #1488 boys' name in America, more common than 90% of boys - 2,714 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #1488
- among boys today
- 2,714
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 90%
- more common than other boys
Orson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1488
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 90% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Orson was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
132 babies were named Orson in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Orson compares
2,714 Top 18% higher than 82% 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
Orson's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Orson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,714 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 132 | 23 | 22,252 |
Orson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Orson's full recorded timeline at 1958, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1886, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 132 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Orson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2023
Current rank
#1,488
Active since
1880
Orson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 132
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Orson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Orson's strongest decade.
708 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Orson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 65
1880s
65 births
- 1890s 39
1890s
39 births
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s 184
1910s
184 births
- 1920s 179
1920s
179 births
- 1930s 126
1930s
126 births
- 1940s 137
1940s
137 births
- 1950s 139
1950s
139 births
- 1960s 111
1960s
111 births
- 1970s 146
1970s
146 births
- 1980s 89
1980s
89 births
- 1990s 61
1990s
61 births
- 2000s 138
2000s
138 births
- 2010s
2010s
585 births
- 2020s
2020s
708 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 708 births (26% of all-time use).
How Orson 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 Orson's total volume
Orson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Orson by state
Where Orson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 147 | 5.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 128 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Utah | | 99 | 3.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 74 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Washington | | 41 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Florida | | 30 | 1.1% |
| #7 | Colorado | | 22 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 21 | 0.8% |
California share of Orson's total US births 5.4%
Even split
147 of 2,714 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Orson appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Orson? ▼
Orson has been given to 2,714 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1488 as of the latest data. 132 babies were born in 2023, its single highest year.
When was Orson most popular? ▼
Orson was most popular in the 2020s decade with 708 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Orson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Orson are California (147 births), New York (128 births), Utah (99 births).
How long has the name Orson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Orson since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Orson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Orsen. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Orson's data
- California records the most Orsons (147 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 Orson
Nearby Names Like Orson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Orson
Compare Orson side by side: Orson vs Orsen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Orson
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. "Orson: #1488 Boys' Name - 2,714 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/orson. 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 Orson 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.