Orra
Hebrew name meaning "light" or "bright".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Orra. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 88.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Orra today is around 108 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orra births was 1919 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orra. 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 Orra is about 108 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orras were born before 1928.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1919
13 babies that year
Average age
108
years old
1919 SSA rank
#3,658
Tracked since 1883
Gender
Gender distribution for Orra
Orra leans heavily female at 88.4% of total registrations, but 17 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Orra as a male name
- Ranked #3,658 in 1919
- 7 male births in 1919
- Peak: 1919 (7 births)
Orra as a female name
- Ranked #5,261 in 1928
- 5 female births in 1928
- Peak: 1888 (10 births)
Popularity
Orra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orra from the 1880s through to the 1920s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 40 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Orra 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 Orra 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 Orra
The given name Orra originates from the Old Norse language and is derived from the word "aurr", which means "gravel" or "shingle". It first emerged during the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century AD. The name was initially popular among the Norse peoples who inhabited Scandinavia and the surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orra can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas often featured characters with traditional Norse names, including Orra. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity beyond the Norse regions during this period.
In the 14th century, a Norwegian noblewoman named Orra Ivarsdotter lived in Bergen, Norway. She was known for her involvement in local politics and her influence in the region. Unfortunately, not much is known about her life beyond her name and her involvement in political affairs.
Another notable figure named Orra was a Swedish woman named Orra Persdotter, who lived in the 15th century. She is mentioned in historical records as being a landowner and a prominent figure in the local community in the Dalarna region of Sweden.
In the 17th century, an Icelandic poet named Orra Jónsdóttir gained recognition for her contributions to Icelandic literature. She was born in 1623 and is known for her collection of poems, which provide insights into the lives and experiences of women during that time period.
A more recent historical figure with the name Orra was Orra White Hitchcock, an American artist and illustrator born in 1796. She was known for her intricate botanical illustrations and her work in promoting the study of natural history through her art.
While the name Orra has its roots in the Norse language and culture, it has remained relatively uncommon throughout history. However, its unique sound and connection to the Viking Age have contributed to its enduring presence, albeit in a limited capacity, across various regions and time periods.
People
Orra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orra 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
Orra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orra 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Orra a common name?
We classify Orra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 146 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orra most popular?
The single biggest year for Orra was 1919, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orra is about 108 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 Orra in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orra a female name?
Yes, 88.4% of people registered as Orra 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.
Is Orra still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orra 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 Orra 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 Orra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.