Oryn
A unisex name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant form of Orion.
Name Census estimates that about 205 living Americans carry the first name Oryn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oryn today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oryn births was 2018 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oryn. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Oryn with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
205
~ 1 in 1,671,972 Americans
Peak year
2018
37 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,581
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Oryn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oryn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 121 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Oryn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oryn 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 Oryn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Oryns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Oryn
The name Oryn is of Scandinavian origin, derived from the Old Norse word "ǫrn," meaning "eagle." It was a popular name among the Vikings and other Norse peoples during the Middle Ages, often given to children born under the auspices of this powerful and majestic bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oryn can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of epic tales and stories that date back to the 13th century. In the Saga of Burnt Njal, a character named Oryn Kjartansson is mentioned, though little is known about his life or deeds.
In the 14th century, a Norwegian chieftain named Oryn Haraldsson was renowned for his bravery and military prowess. He led his clan in several battles against rival tribes, earning a reputation as a formidable warrior and leader. His exploits were documented in the Heimskringla, a collection of Norse sagas written by the famous Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson.
During the Viking Age, the name Oryn was also associated with seafaring and exploration. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Oryn Thorvaldsson, a Norse explorer who is believed to have accompanied Leif Erikson on his journey to Vinland (modern-day Newfoundland) around the year 1000 AD.
In the early modern period, the name Oryn gained popularity in Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe. One notable bearer was Oryn Jansson (1547-1623), a Swedish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial navigation.
In more recent times, the name Oryn has been relatively uncommon, though it has been carried by a few notable individuals. Oryn Mears (1918-2010) was a British actor and playwright who appeared in numerous television shows and films throughout his career. Oryn Roderick (born 1952) is a Welsh historian and author, known for his works on the history and culture of Wales.
People
Oryn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oryn 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
Oryn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oryn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 205 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oryn 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 1,671,972 US residents.
Is Oryn a common name?
We classify Oryn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 206 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oryn most popular?
The single biggest year for Oryn was 2018, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oryn is about 8 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 Oryn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oryn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oryn 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 Oryn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oryn 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 Oryn 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 Oryn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.