Orwin
Of English origin, a compound name derived from "ore" meaning gold, and "wine" meaning friend.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Orwin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Orwin today is around 124 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Orwin births was 1920 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Orwin. 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 Orwin is about 124 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Orwins were born before 1912.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Orwin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1920
9 babies that year
Average age
124
years old
1928 SSA rank
#3,617
Tracked since 1880
Origin
Meaning and history of Orwin
The name Orwin has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the combination of two words: "or" meaning "shore" or "bank," and "wine" meaning "friend" or "protector." Thus, Orwin can be interpreted as "friend of the shore" or "protector of the bank."
This name was prevalent among the Anglo-Saxon tribes that inhabited the British Isles during the early medieval period. It was particularly popular in regions near coastal areas or rivers, where the connection to the shoreline held significance. The earliest recorded instances of the name Orwin can be found in ancient Anglo-Saxon chronicles and genealogical records from the 7th and 8th centuries.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Orwin was Orwin the Scholar, a renowned monk and scholar who lived in the 9th century. He was a member of the Lindisfarne monastic community and is credited with preserving and transcribing many ancient manuscripts, contributing to the preservation of knowledge during the Dark Ages. Another Orwin of historical significance was Orwin the Warrior, a Saxon chieftain who fought against the Danish invaders in the late 9th century, defending his lands and people with great valor.
In the 11th century, a man named Orwin the Scribe served as a clerk and calligrapher for the court of King Edward the Confessor. His intricate and beautiful handwriting can be found in several royal charters and documents from that era. During the 12th century, an Orwin of Huntingdon was a respected knight and landowner who participated in the Crusades and is mentioned in chronicles of the time.
In the medieval period, the name Orwin also appeared in various literary works, such as the epic poem "Beowulf," where it was used for minor characters or place names. The name's connection to the shore and its Old English roots contributed to its enduring use throughout the Anglo-Saxon and early English periods.
As time progressed, the name Orwin gradually fell out of widespread use, but it continued to be passed down through generations in certain families and regions. Sporadic mentions of individuals named Orwin can be found in historical records from the 13th to the 16th centuries, showcasing the name's longevity and cultural significance.
People
Orwin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Orwin 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
Orwin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Orwin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Orwin 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Orwin a common name?
We classify Orwin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Orwin most popular?
The single biggest year for Orwin was 1920, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Orwin is about 124 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Orwin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Orwin 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.