Orrey
An Old French form of the name Aurélien, meaning "golden" or "gilded".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Orrey. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orrey today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orrey births was 1986 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orrey. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orrey. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1986
5 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1986 SSA rank
#7,519
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Orrey: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Orrey 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 Orrey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Orrey
The name Orrey is believed to have originated from the Old French word "orrerie," which referred to a mechanical model of the solar system. This term was derived from the Latin word "orarium," meaning a clock or timepiece. The name's roots can be traced back to the Late Middle Ages, around the 15th century, when such mechanical models were first developed.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orrey can be found in the works of the French philosopher and mathematician, Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655). He is credited with coining the term "orrerie" to describe a mechanical device that replicated the motions of the planets and other celestial bodies.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Orrey Fitzmon (1620-1679), an English politician and member of the House of Commons during the reign of King Charles II. Fitzmon played a significant role in the political landscape of his time and was known for his staunch support of the monarchy.
Another historical figure with the name Orrey was Orrey Saville (1763-1835), an English clergyman and academic. He served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and was renowned for his contributions to the field of education.
In the 19th century, Orrey Burnett (1810-1875) was a prominent British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Connaught Hospital in London. His architectural works were highly influential during the Victorian era.
Lastly, Orrey Dalton (1877-1949) was an American writer and journalist who gained recognition for his short stories and articles published in various literary magazines of his time. His works often explored themes of human emotions and societal issues.
While the name Orrey may have originated from a specific context related to mechanical models and timekeeping devices, its usage has expanded over the centuries, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions bearing this unique name.
People
Orrey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orrey 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
Orrey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orrey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orrey 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Orrey a common name?
We classify Orrey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orrey most popular?
The single biggest year for Orrey was 1986, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orrey is about 38 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 Orrey in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orrey a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orrey 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 Orrey still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orrey 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 Orrey 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 Orrey?
Find out how many Americans are named Orrey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.