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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Bear cub
- Origin
- Old French (from Latin ursus, 'bear')
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- OR-sun
Orson comes from Old French, tracing back to the Latin word ursus, meaning bear — so at its root, the name simply means "bear cub." It's pronounced OR-sun, and it fits a boy whose parents are drawn to names with an earthy, wandering, free-spirit feel. It's a name with real linguistic weight behind a short, easy-to-say sound.
Meaning & Origin of Orson
Meaning: Bear cub.
Origin: Old French (from Latin ursus, 'bear').
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Orson
OR-sunIPA /ˈɔːrsən/
Popularity of Orson
Orson reached its highest popularity back in 1883, when it ranked #549 with 12 babies given the name. In 2024 it sat at #1500 with 119 babies, so while it's far less common by rank than its 1883 peak, more boys were actually named Orson that year than were in 1883.
Names Like Orson
These names share Orson’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Orson mean?
Bear cub. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Orson?
Orson is pronounced OR-sun (IPA: /ˈɔːrsən/).
Is Orson a popular name right now?
Orson peaked at #549 in 1883 and is ranked #1500 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
Make Orson Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Orson, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Orson? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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