Orion

Orion: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “rising in the sky”
Origin: Greek
Say it: oh-RYE-un · 3 syllables
Used for: Boys (97% of all uses)

Orion is the name of a hunter in Greek mythology and of the prominent constellation. The name's exact etymology is uncertain, but it is firmly associated with the mythological figure and the stars.

Greek names English names Names meaning sky Names meaning star Names meaning warrior Mythological names International names

How popular is Orion?

2024328 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Orion in 20241,093

2024 rank#323 boys

Peak year2018

Total US babies since 188022,710

Orion is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Orion

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Theodoregift of God · Greek
Sebastianfrom Sebaste · Greek
Alexanderdefender of men · Greek
Lukefrom Lucania · Greek
Christopherbearer of Christ · Greek
Andrewmanly, brave · Greek
Theogod · Greek
Georgefarmer, earth-worker · Greek

Orion questions

What does the name Orion mean?

Orion means "rising in the sky". It comes from Greek. Orion is the name of a hunter in Greek mythology and of the prominent constellation. The name's exact etymology is uncertain, but it is firmly associated with the mythological figure and the stars.

Is Orion a boy or girl name?

Orion is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Orion?

1,093 US babies were named Orion in 2024. Its peak year was 2018.

How do you pronounce Orion?

Orion is usually pronounced oh-RYE-un.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.