Orhaan
A boy's name of Turkish origin meaning "young and bright".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Orhaan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orhaan today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orhaan births was 2023 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orhaan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Orhaan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orhaan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2023
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,874
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Orhaan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Orhaan 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 Orhaan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Orhaan
The given name Orhaan has its roots in the Persian language, where it is derived from the word 'orhan,' meaning 'leader' or 'chief.' This name can be traced back to ancient Persia (present-day Iran) and the surrounding regions, where it was commonly used during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the 10th-century Persian epic poem, Shahnameh, by the renowned poet Ferdowsi. In this literary work, Orhaan is mentioned as the name of a warrior and commander who fought alongside the legendary hero Rustam.
During the 11th century, the name Orhaan gained prominence in the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from Central Asia to the Middle East. One notable bearer of this name was Orhaan Ghazi, a Seljuk commander who played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire's territories in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).
In the 13th century, the name Orhaan found its way into the Ottoman Empire, which emerged as a powerful force in the region. The most famous bearer of this name was Orhaan I, who reigned as the second sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359. Under his leadership, the Ottoman Empire experienced significant territorial growth and established itself as a formidable power in the region.
Another historical figure of note was Orhaan Veli Kanik, a renowned Turkish poet and one of the pioneers of the modern Turkish poetry movement. Born in 1914, Orhaan Veli's works were instrumental in shaping the literary landscape of 20th-century Turkey.
In the realm of Islamic history, the name Orhaan has been associated with several notable figures. One such figure was Orhaan al-Din, a prominent Sufi scholar and mystic who lived in the 13th century and was known for his spiritual teachings and writings.
Throughout the centuries, the name Orhaan has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life, including rulers, military leaders, scholars, and artists. It continues to be a popular name in countries with Persian and Turkic cultural influences, such as Iran, Turkey, and parts of Central Asia, serving as a testament to its enduring legacy and historical significance.
People
Orhaan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orhaan 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
Orhaan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orhaan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orhaan 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Orhaan a common name?
We classify Orhaan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orhaan most popular?
The single biggest year for Orhaan was 2023, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orhaan is about 3 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 Orhaan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orhaan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orhaan 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 Orhaan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orhaan 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 Orhaan 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 Orhaan?
Want to know how many Americans are named Orhaan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.