Orson
Boy name · #1428 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 126 baby boys were named Orson, placing it at #1428 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2112, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 14,286 boys born in 2025 was named Orson.
The 145-year story
Orson first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 7 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 132 babies and a rank of #1397. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Orson per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Orson against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Orson in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Orson is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Orson will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Orson is most common
State-level data for Orson is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Orson
Statistically, parents drawn to Orson tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jetson, Jenson, Olson, Yeison, and Wesson.
JetsonJensonOlsonYeisonWessonIversonEversonCaison
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Orson | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 126 | #1425 |
| 2024 | 121 | #1487 |
| 2023 | 132 | #1397 |
| 2022 | 127 | #1433 |
| 2021 | 98 | #1678 |
| 2020 | 104 | #1568 |
| 2019 | 105 | #1582 |
| 2018 | 63 | #2189 |
| 2017 | 73 | #1958 |
| 2016 | 90 | #1724 |
| 2015 | 66 | #2112 |
| 2014 | 53 | #2402 |
| 2013 | 42 | #2763 |
| 2012 | 31 | #3450 |
| 2011 | 34 | #3235 |
| 2010 | 28 | #3708 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4278 |
| 2008 | 18 | #5067 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4243 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5781 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5875 |
| 2004 | 7 | #8927 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6258 |
| 2002 | 12 | #5725 |
| 2001 | 9 | #6935 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Orson a popular boy name?
Orson ranked #1428 among boys in 2025 with 126 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2112.
When was the name Orson most popular?
Orson peaked in 2023, when 132 American boys received the name (ranked #1397 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Orson?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 14,286 newborn American boys was named Orson. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.