Total births
35,065
Boys' name · since 1880
Orville
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 35,065 babies named Orville, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #6832
- among boys today
- 35,065
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Orville is the #6832 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 35,065 recorded since 1880.
Orville has 35,065 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6832 as of the latest data, more common than 52% of boys, 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 2025.
- #6832 among boys today
- 35,065 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 52% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Orville is currently the #6832 boys' name in America, more common than 52% of boys - 35,065 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6832
- among boys today
- 35,065
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 52%
- more common than other boys
Orville vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6832
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 52% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Orville was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
1,195 babies were named Orville in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Orville compares
35,065 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Orville's all-time total is 96x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Orville | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 35,065 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,195 | 23 | 22,252 |
Orville's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Orville splits its recorded history at 1953: 12% of all births land in the more recent half, 88% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2010 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 1,195 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Orville at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#6,832
Active since
1880
Orville popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 1,195
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Orville popularity over time - girls
155 total births recorded since 1914 (Orville as girls' name)
Orville by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Orville's strongest decade.
9,722 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Orville births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 615
1880s
615 births
- 1890s 870
1890s
870 births
- 1900s 1,365
1900s
1,365 births
- 1910s
1910s
7,901 births
- 1920s
1920s
9,722 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,825 births
- 1940s 3,845
1940s
3,845 births
- 1950s 2,290
1950s
2,290 births
- 1960s 1,184
1960s
1,184 births
- 1970s 615
1970s
615 births
- 1980s 319
1980s
319 births
- 1990s 179
1990s
179 births
- 2000s 132
2000s
132 births
- 2010s 124
2010s
124 births
- 2020s 79
2020s
79 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 9,722 births (28% of all-time use).
How Orville 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 Orville's total volume
Orville vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Orville by state
Where Orville concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 2,179 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 2,044 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 1,990 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 1,787 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,755 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Wisconsin | | 1,743 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 1,439 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 1,390 | 4.0% |
Illinois share of Orville's total US births 6.2%
Even split
2,179 of 35,065 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Orville appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Orville? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 35,065 babies named Orville. Today it holds rank #6832 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 1,195 births.
When was Orville most popular? ▼
Orville was most popular in the 1920s decade with 9,722 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Orville most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Orville are Illinois (2,179 births), Kentucky (2,044 births), Missouri (1,990 births).
How long has the name Orville been used? ▼
Records for Orville go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Orville? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Orval, Orvil, Orvel, Orvin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Orville's data
- Orville's decade-level peak was the 1920s (9,722 total births); usage has since declined to 79 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Orvilles (2,179 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois 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 Orville
Nearby Names Like Orville
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Orville
Orval Boy
7,916 births
Orvil Boy
1,935 births
Orvel Boy
1,157 births
Orvin Boy
#12389 1,140 births
Orvis Boy
940 births
Compare Orville side by side: Orville vs Orval Orville vs Orvil Orville vs Orvel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Orville
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. "Orville: #6832 Boys' Name - 35,065 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/orville. 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 Orville 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.