Orby
A whimsical name possibly derived from the word "orb" suggesting something spherical.
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Orby. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orby today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orby births was 1923 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orby. 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
- • The typical person named Orby is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orbys were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orby. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
1923
13 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1947 SSA rank
#4,122
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Orby: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orby from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 72 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Orby 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 Orby during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Orby
The name Orby is believed to have originated from the Old English word "orb," which means "sphere" or "ball." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a physical characteristic or occupation related to spherical objects or activities involving balls, such as sports or astronomy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orby can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This record suggests that the name had already gained some prominence in England during that time period.
In the 14th century, an English scholar and astronomer named Orby de Loveliche lived from around 1320 to 1390. He was known for his contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the movements of planets, which aligns with the potential connection between the name Orby and astronomical concepts.
During the Renaissance period, Orby Shipside (1496-1558) was an English churchman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of London and held various positions at the University of Cambridge. His name appears in historical records from the 16th century, further solidifying the presence of the name Orby in England.
In the 19th century, Orby Shipley (1832-1904) was a British barrister and Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Pudsey from 1868 to 1880. He was also a renowned author and contributed to the field of literature during his lifetime.
Another notable figure with the name Orby was Orby Slater (1890-1959), a British artist and printmaker known for his etchings and engravings. He was a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers and had his works displayed in various exhibitions throughout the early 20th century.
While the name Orby may have originated from an Old English word, its usage and presence in historical records suggest that it has maintained a consistent presence, particularly in England, over the centuries. The name's potential connections to spherical objects, astronomy, and other fields have been reflected in the lives and contributions of some notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history.
People
Orby + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orby 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
Orby: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orby?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orby 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 1 in 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Orby a common name?
We classify Orby as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 151 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orby most popular?
The single biggest year for Orby was 1923, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orby is about 87 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 Orby in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orby a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orby 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 Orby still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orby 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 Orby 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 common is the name Orby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.