Orson

At a Glance: Name: Orson – Meaning: bear cub – Origin: Old French (from Latin ursus, 'bear') – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: OR-sun

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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

Phonetic: OR-sun   IPA: /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.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name 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.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Astra
• Lilla
• Maris
• Palma
• Sylvan
• Viola

FAQ

What does the name Orson mean?

Bear cub. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Orson)

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.)

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