Orvell
A masculine name of obscure origin, possibly Germanic or Old French.
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Orvell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orvell today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orvell births was 1922 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orvell. 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 Orvell is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orvells were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orvell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
1922
10 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1953 SSA rank
#3,696
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Orvell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orvell from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 42 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
Orvell 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 Orvell 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 Orvell
The given name Orvell has its origins in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Semitic root "rw-l," which means "to shepherd" or "to guide." The name may have been initially used to refer to those who tended flocks of sheep or goats, or to leaders who guided their communities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Orvell can be found in the Babylonian cuneiform tablets dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. These tablets contain various personal names, including variations of Orvell, such as "Ur-valu" and "Ur-vallu." This suggests that the name was in use among the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations.
In the 1st century CE, the name Orvell appears in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. He mentions an individual named Orvell who was a member of the Jewish community in Jerusalem during the Roman-Jewish Wars. This indicates that the name was also used among the ancient Jewish population in the Middle East.
During the Middle Ages, the name Orvell was relatively uncommon in Europe but was still found in certain regions. One notable bearer of the name was Orvell de Bretagne, a French nobleman who lived in the 12th century and was a companion of King Richard I of England during the Third Crusade.
In the 16th century, there was a famous Italian painter named Orvell Grillandaio, who was part of the Florentine Renaissance art movement. He was known for his religious paintings and frescoes adorning various churches in Florence and Rome.
Another significant figure with the name Orvell was Orvell Mowat, a Canadian writer and environmentalist who lived from 1921 to 2014. He was best known for his books about the Canadian Arctic and advocating for the protection of natural environments.
Other notable individuals with the name Orvell include Orvell Hatch, an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019, and Orvell Redenbacher, an American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the popcorn company that bears his name.
While the name Orvell has ancient roots and has been used across various cultures throughout history, it remains relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its unique sound and rich historical background make it a distinctive choice for those seeking a name with a strong cultural heritage.
People
Orvell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orvell 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
Orvell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orvell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orvell 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 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Orvell a common name?
We classify Orvell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 135 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orvell most popular?
The single biggest year for Orvell was 1922, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orvell is about 85 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 Orvell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orvell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orvell 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 Orvell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orvell 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 Orvell 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 Americans are named Orvell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.