Orvo
Finnish masculine name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from a word meaning "orphan".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Orvo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orvo today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orvo births was 1914 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orvo. 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 Orvo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1914
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1914 SSA rank
#3,172
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Orvo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Orvo 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 Orvo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Orvo
The name Orvo has its origins in the Finnish language, emerging during the late 19th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "orvo," which means "orphan" or "fatherless." The name was likely bestowed upon children who had lost their fathers at a young age, serving as a poignant reminder of their circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Orvo can be found in the annals of Finnish history. Orvo Tokoi (1873-1963) was a prominent Finnish politician and trade union leader, known for his advocacy of workers' rights and his involvement in the Finnish Civil War.
Another notable figure bearing the name Orvo was Orvo Saastamoinen (1909-1988), a Finnish geodesist and engineer. He made significant contributions to the field of geodesy, particularly in the development of techniques for measuring atmospheric refraction in satellite geodesy.
In the realm of literature, Orvo Siikanen (1914-1961) was a Finnish author and playwright. His works, which often explored themes of rural life and the struggles of the working class, played a pivotal role in shaping Finnish literature in the mid-20th century.
Orvo Saarinen (1917-1992) was a renowned Finnish-American architect, best known for his iconic designs, including the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, and the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Lastly, Orvo Seppänen (1902-1986) was a Finnish long-distance runner who competed in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 10,000-meter event at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, cementing his place in Finland's athletic history.
While the name Orvo may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been borne by individuals who have left an indelible mark on various fields, from politics and engineering to literature and sports, reflecting the rich tapestry of Finnish culture and history.
People
Orvo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orvo 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
Orvo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orvo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orvo 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 - US residents.
Is Orvo a common name?
We classify Orvo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orvo most popular?
The single biggest year for Orvo was 1914, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orvo is about 0 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 Orvo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Orvo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orvo 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 Orvo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Orvo 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 Orvo 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 Orvo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.