Orval
A masculine name of French origin referring to a valley spring.
Name Census estimates that about 1,456 living Americans carry the first name Orval. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orval today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orval births was 1918 (304 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orval. 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 Orval is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orvals were born before 1959.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 235,408 Americans
Peak year
1918
304 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1995 SSA rank
#3,965
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Orval
Out of the 7,927 babies given the name Orval since 1880, 99.8% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Orval as a male name
- Ranked #7,576 in 1995
- 7 male births in 1995
- Peak: 1918 (304 births)
Orval as a female name
- Ranked #3,965 in 1929
- 7 female births in 1929
- Peak: 1929 (7 births)
Popularity
Orval: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orval from the 1880s through to the 1990s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 2,291 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
Orval 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 Orval during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Orvals live
The SSA's state-level files cover 27 states and territories. Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois recorded the most babies named Orval, while Tennessee, Utah, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 183 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Orval
The given name Orval has its origins in the French language, with the earliest recorded use dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "orval," which means "fertile valley" or "green valley." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with agricultural or rural communities in France.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Orval can be found in the 12th century, when Orval Abbey, a Cistercian monastery, was founded in the Gaume region of present-day Belgium. The abbey was named after the nearby Orval valley, which lent its name to the monastic establishment. This connection indicates that the name Orval had already gained recognition and usage during this period.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the name Orval was primarily concentrated in France and the neighboring regions of Belgium and Luxembourg. It was often associated with rural or agricultural communities, reflecting its etymological roots. However, there are no significant historical figures or prominent individuals bearing the name Orval during this time period that have been widely documented.
In the 18th century, Orval Ormsby (1718-1789) was a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He fought on the side of the British forces and was involved in several campaigns, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Brandywine. Ormsby's use of the name Orval highlights its presence in English-speaking regions during this era.
In the 19th century, Orval Hosford (1826-1906) was an American farmer and politician from Ohio. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and was actively involved in agricultural organizations, further reinforcing the name's connection to rural communities and farming.
Another notable individual with the name Orval was Orval Grove (1873-1931), an American engineer and inventor. He was granted several patents for his innovations in the field of mining and mineral processing, contributing to the development of industrial technologies during the early 20th century.
Orval Moore (1892-1971) was an American baseball player who played in the major leagues for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns. He had a successful career as a utility player, showcasing the name's presence in the realm of professional sports.
While the name Orval has its roots in French and rural origins, its usage has spread across various cultures and regions over time, reflecting its enduring nature and adaptability.
People
Orval + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orval 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
Orval: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orval?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,456 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orval 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 235,408 US residents.
Is Orval a common name?
We classify Orval as "Rare". It ranks above 92.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,927 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orval most popular?
The single biggest year for Orval was 1918, when 304 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orval is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Orval a male name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Orval 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.
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.