Orion first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Orion has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Orion

A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "hunter" or "son of fire".

Popularity of Orion by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Orion is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 97% of people named Orion being male.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 1,061 male babies and 32 female babies born with the name Orion.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 32 baby girls were named Orion in 2024, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

YearMale CountFemale Count
20241,06132
202386123
20221,01421
20211,04840
20201,01526
20191,07728
20181,15134
20171,02334
20161,07233
201587422
201482124
201375914
201267821
201157414
201056113
200951811
200849616
200746913
200648514
200542713
200441814
200339916
200236712
200140416
200038215
199937722
199837222
19971959
19961858
19951687
19941487
19931088
1992920
19911175
1990900
1989890
1988780
1987830
1986560
1985640
1984720
1983760
1982870
1981670
1980610
1979810
1978660
1977670
1976570
1975580

The history of the first name Orion

The name Orion has its origins in Greek mythology, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "Oros," meaning "mountain" or "hill." The name was given to a prominent hunter in Greek legends, who was later immortalized as a constellation in the night sky.

In Greek mythology, Orion was a handsome and skilled hunter who boasted of his abilities to the point of hubris. According to the tales, he was either blinded or killed by a scorpion sent by the gods to punish his arrogance. However, Zeus, the king of the gods, admired Orion's prowess and placed him among the stars as a constellation.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Orion can be found in the works of ancient Greek poets and writers, such as Hesiod and Homer. In the Odyssey, Homer describes Orion as a formidable hunter who was eventually slain by Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Orion. One of the earliest was Orion of Thebes, a Greek mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 5th century BC. He is credited with introducing the concept of the celestial sphere and writing works on astronomy.

In the 1st century AD, Orion of Alexandria was a renowned Greek grammarian and philologist. He is best known for his work on the Etymologicum, a dictionary of Greek words and their origins.

During the Renaissance period, Orion Fine Olavius (1548-1623) was a Danish astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several works on astronomy.

In the 18th century, Orion Anderson (1766-1857) was a renowned American Revolutionary War soldier and politician who served as a Senator from Tennessee.

More recently, Orion Samuelson (born 1934) is an American agricultural journalist and broadcaster who has been a prominent voice in the farming community for over six decades.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Orion, a name that has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and has been associated with the stars, astronomy, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Orion was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Orion, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

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