Orace
A masculine name potentially derived from the Latin orator, meaning "speaker" or "eloquent person".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Orace. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orace today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orace births was 1916 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orace. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orace. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
8 babies that year
Average age
-
1916 SSA rank
#3,118
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Orace: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Orace by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Orace during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 14 | 0 | 14 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Orace
The given name Orace is derived from the Latin name Oratius, which itself is a variation of the Roman family name Horatius. The name Horatius is believed to have originated from the Latin word "hora," meaning "hour" or "time." This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone born at a particular hour or time.
In ancient Roman times, the Horatii were a prominent family known for their loyalty and bravery. One of the most famous historical figures bearing this name was Quintus Horatius Flaccus, better known as Horace, a celebrated Roman lyric poet who lived from 65 BC to 8 BC. His works, such as the Odes and Satires, significantly influenced the development of Western literature.
The name Orace can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it was used as a variant spelling of Horace. One notable bearer of this name was Orace Greenleaf Villard, an American journalist and social reformer born in 1833. He was a prominent advocate for civil rights and played a significant role in the anti-slavery movement.
Another historical figure with the name Orace was Orace Jenkins, an American lawyer and politician who served as the 29th Governor of Wyoming from 1939 to 1943. He was born in 1883 and played a crucial role in shaping Wyoming's policies during his tenure as governor.
In the realm of sports, Orace Pridon was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the early 20th century. He played for several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Blueshirts, and was known for his skilled defensive play on the ice.
Orace Woodwarde, born in 1590, was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The True Doctrine of the Sabbath" and "The Whole Doctrine of the Sabbath." His writings were influential in shaping the theological discourse of his time.
While the name Orace is not as common as its variant forms, such as Horace or Horatio, it has been carried by notable individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields, including literature, politics, sports, and religion.
People
Orace + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orace as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Orace: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orace?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orace going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Orace a common name?
We classify Orace as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orace most popular?
The single biggest year for Orace was 1916, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orace is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Orace in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orace a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orace in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Orace still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orace in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Orace can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Orace?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.