Orlene
A feminine name of French origin meaning "golden or golden one".
Name Census estimates that about 84 living Americans carry the first name Orlene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Orlene today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orlene births was 1921 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orlene. 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 Orlene is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orlenes were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orlene. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
84
~ 1 in 4,080,409 Americans
Peak year
1921
23 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1971 SSA rank
#9,224
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Orlene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orlene from the 1910s through to the 1970s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 118 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
Orlene 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 Orlene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Orlenes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Orlene
The name Orlene originates from the French language, derived from the Old French word "Orliens," which means "from Orleans." Orleans is a city in north-central France, situated along the Loire River. The name's roots can be traced back to the 5th century AD, during the time of the Merovingian dynasty in the Frankish Kingdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orlene can be found in the chronicles of the Frankish court, where it was used to refer to individuals hailing from the city of Orleans. However, it is important to note that the name was not widely popular during this period and was primarily used as a descriptive term rather than a given name.
The first known historical figure to bear the name Orlene was Orlene de Burgundy, a noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was the daughter of Odo II, Duke of Burgundy, and was known for her charitable works and patronage of the arts.
Another notable figure with the name Orlene was Orlene de Brie, a 13th-century French poet and troubadour. She is best known for her lyrical compositions, which explored themes of love, nature, and courtly life. Her works were widely circulated and admired during her lifetime.
In the 16th century, Orlene de Valois, a member of the French royal family, gained recognition for her role as a patron of the arts and her support for the Renaissance movement. She commissioned numerous works of art and architecture, contributing to the cultural renaissance of France during this period.
Moving into the 17th century, Orlene de Montpensier was a prominent figure in French aristocratic society. She was known for her involvement in the Fronde, a series of civil wars that took place in France during the minority of King Louis XIV. Despite her political activism, she was also a patron of the arts and literature.
The name Orlene continued to be used throughout the centuries, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. In the 20th century, Orlene Murad, an American actress and dancer of Lebanese descent, achieved fame for her performances in Broadway musicals and Hollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s.
While the name Orlene has its roots in French history and culture, it has also been adopted by other cultures and languages over time. However, its origins can be traced back to the city of Orleans and the Old French word "Orliens," reflecting the name's enduring connection to its geographical and linguistic origins.
People
Orlene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orlene 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
Orlene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orlene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 84 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orlene 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 4,080,409 US residents.
Is Orlene a common name?
We classify Orlene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 402 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orlene most popular?
The single biggest year for Orlene was 1921, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orlene is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Orlene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orlene in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.