Total births
7,916
Boys' name · since 1880
Orval
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 7,916 babies named Orval, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 7,916
- total births
- 1880–1995
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
Orval sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 7,916 recorded since 1880.
Orval has 7,916 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1995.
- 7,916 total births
- 1880–1995 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 29% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
7,916 boys have been named Orval since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1995.
- 7,916
- total births
- 1880–1995
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 29%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Orval was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
304 babies were named Orval in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
Orval's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Orval's SSA record in two at 1935 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1981, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 304, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Orval at a glance
Last recorded 1995Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Orval popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1995
- Peak year (1918)
- 304
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Orval popularity over time - girls
12 total births recorded since 1919 (Orval as girls' name)
Orval by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Orval's strongest decade.
2,284 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Orval births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 141
1880s
141 births
- 1890s 223
1890s
223 births
- 1900s 365
1900s
365 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,004 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,284 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,213 births
- 1940s 851
1940s
851 births
- 1950s 461
1950s
461 births
- 1960s 212
1960s
212 births
- 1970s 103
1970s
103 births
- 1980s 35
1980s
35 births
- 1990s 24
1990s
24 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,284 births (29% of all-time use).
How Orval 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 Orval's total volume
Orval vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Orval by state
Where Orval concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Oklahoma | | 562 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 424 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 401 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 373 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Indiana | | 353 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 327 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Kansas | | 317 | 4.0% |
| #8 | West Virginia | | 308 | 3.9% |
Oklahoma share of Orval's total US births 7.1%
Even split
562 of 7,916 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Orval appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Orval? ▼
Orval has been given to 7,916 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1995. 304 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Orval most popular? ▼
Orval was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,284 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Orval most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Orval are Oklahoma (562 births), Missouri (424 births), Illinois (401 births).
How long has the name Orval been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Orval since 1880 -- 116 years through the most recent 1995 data.
What names are similar to Orval? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Orville, Orvil, Orvel, Orvin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Orval's data
- Orval's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,284 total births); usage has since declined to 24 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Oklahoma records the most Orvals (562 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Oklahoma 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 Orval
Nearby Names Like Orval
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Orval
Orville Boy
#6832 35,065 births
Orvil Boy
1,935 births
Orvel Boy
1,157 births
Orvin Boy
#12389 1,140 births
Orvis Boy
940 births
Compare Orval side by side: Orval vs Orville Orval vs Orvil Orval vs Orvel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1880–1995 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Orval: Baby Name Since 1880 - 7,916 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/orval. 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 Orval 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.