Orvetta
An anglicized form of the Italian feminine name Orvieto.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Orvetta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Orvetta today is around 81 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orvetta births was 1923 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orvetta. 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 Orvetta is about 81 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orvettas were born before 1955.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orvetta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1923
13 babies that year
Average age
81
years old
1960 SSA rank
#7,045
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Orvetta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Orvetta from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 65 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
Orvetta 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 Orvetta 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 Orvetta
The name Orvetta is believed to have its roots in the Italian language, originating from the Latin word "orva," which means "path" or "way." This suggests that the name may have been derived from a name or word that symbolized a journey or direction in life.
In the early Middle Ages, around the 5th to 8th centuries, the name Orvetta may have been used as a feminine form of the Italian male name Orvo or Orvo. However, historical records of the exact origin and earliest usage of the name are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orvetta can be found in a 13th-century Italian manuscript, where it was mentioned as the name of a woman from a noble family in the region of Umbria, Italy. This suggests that the name may have been more prevalent among the aristocratic classes during that time period.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Orvetta. One such person was Orvetta Bianco (1871-1954), an Italian painter and sculptor known for her works depicting scenes from everyday life in rural Italy.
Another notable figure was Orvetta Geloso (1908-1991), an Italian actress and comedian who appeared in numerous Italian films and theatrical productions during the mid-20th century.
In the literary realm, Orvetta Courrière (1919-2010) was a French writer and novelist known for her works exploring themes of love, relationships, and the human condition.
Moving to the world of science, Orvetta Grover (1928-2015) was an American chemist and professor who made significant contributions to the field of environmental chemistry and the study of air pollution.
Lastly, Orvetta Deane (1942-2020) was a renowned Australian artist and printmaker, recognized for her vibrant abstract compositions and her exploration of color and texture.
While the name Orvetta may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and evolution through various cultures and time periods make it a unique and intriguing name with a fascinating backstory.
People
Orvetta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orvetta 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
Orvetta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orvetta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orvetta 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Orvetta a common name?
We classify Orvetta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 159 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orvetta most popular?
The single biggest year for Orvetta was 1923, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orvetta is about 81 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 Orvetta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orvetta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orvetta 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 Orvetta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orvetta 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 Orvetta 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 called Orvetta?
Find out how many people share the name Orvetta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.