Oryon
A masculine name derived from the Greek constellation Orion.
Name Census estimates that about 121 living Americans carry the first name Oryon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oryon today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oryon births was 2017 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oryon. 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.
People living today
121
~ 1 in 2,832,680 Americans
Peak year
2017
11 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,619
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Oryon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oryon 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 65 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oryon 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 Oryon 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 Oryon
The given name Oryon has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and culture, dating back to the 8th century BC. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "Orion," which refers to the famous hunter and giant in Greek legends. The name is closely associated with the constellation Orion, one of the most recognizable star patterns in the night sky.
In Greek mythology, Orion was a skilled hunter who boasted of his prowess and claimed he could kill any animal on Earth. This arrogance angered the gods, and Orion was eventually killed by a giant scorpion sent by the goddess Artemis. After his death, the gods immortalized Orion in the heavens as a constellation, where he remains a prominent figure in the night sky.
The earliest recorded use of the name Oryon can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and writings, where it was often used as a reference to the mythological hunter or the celestial constellation bearing the same name. In the fifth century BC, the Greek poet Pindar mentioned Orion in one of his famous odes, describing him as a "mighty hunter."
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Oryon. One of the earliest examples is Oryon of Thebes, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC. He was a prominent figure in the Pythagorean school of thought and is known for his contributions to the study of mathematics and geometry.
In the realm of literature, Oryon Tindal was an English writer and philosopher who lived from 1653 to 1733. He is best known for his work "Christianity as Old as the Creation," which explored the idea of natural religion and its compatibility with Christianity.
Moving forward in time, Oryon Polites was a Greek military officer and revolutionary who played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. He fought bravely in several battles and is remembered as a hero of the Greek struggle for independence.
Another notable figure was Oryon Gallagher, an American architect and urban planner who lived from 1879 to 1949. He was instrumental in the design and development of several notable cities in the United States, including Mariemont, Ohio, and Coral Gables, Florida.
In more recent times, Oryon Rudel was a renowned French actor and director who graced the stage and screen from 1915 to 1988. He is celebrated for his performances in numerous plays and films, and his contributions to the French theater and cinema industries are widely recognized.
People
Oryon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oryon 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
Oryon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oryon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 121 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oryon 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 2,832,680 US residents.
Is Oryon a common name?
We classify Oryon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oryon most popular?
The single biggest year for Oryon was 2017, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oryon is about 14 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 Oryon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oryon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oryon 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 Oryon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oryon 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 Oryon 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 have Oryon as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Oryon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.