UK name, mostly boys
Oren
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "pine tree".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Oren is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Oren popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1132, with 25 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 36 births.
This profile covers 499 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 69% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 526 living people in the UK are called Oren. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Oren ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 25 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 36 boys were registered as Oren.
- • Oren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
- • About 526 living people in the UK are estimated to have Oren as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.4% of Oren registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1132
2024
Births in 2024
25
Latest year
Peak year
2021
36 births
Estimated living
526
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Oren
In England and Wales birth records, Oren has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.4% of registrations are for boys and 0.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Oren registered for boys
- Ranked #1,132 in 2024
- 25 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (36 births)
Oren registered for girls
- Ranked #5,545 in 2008
- 3 girls registered in 2008
- Peak: 2008 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Oren mean?
The name Oren has its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew word "or," which means "light" or "pine tree." The name can be traced back to ancient times in the Middle East and is believed to have been in use among the Israelites and other Semitic peoples of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oren is found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a son of Jerahmeel, a descendant of Judah. This reference dates back to around the 6th century BCE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Oren. One of the most famous was Oren Root (1838-1908), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt.
Another prominent figure with the name Oren was Oren Lyons (born 1930), a member of the Onondaga Nation and a respected leader and activist for Native American rights. Lyons played a crucial role in the establishment of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
In the realm of sports, Oren Smadja (born 1985) is a former professional tennis player from Israel who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 67 in the world. He represented Israel in various international tournaments, including the Davis Cup.
Oren Peli (born 1970) is an Israeli-American filmmaker and writer best known for creating the successful horror film franchise "Paranormal Activity." The first installment, released in 2007, became a cultural phenomenon and spawned several sequels.
Lastly, Oren Rudavsky (born 1956) is an American independent filmmaker and professor of film at Ohio State University. He has directed several acclaimed documentary films, including "A Life Apart: Hasidism in America" and "Colliding Dreams," exploring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Throughout its history, the name Oren has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, encompassing politicians, activists, athletes, filmmakers, and more. Its Hebrew origins and associations with light and nature have contributed to its enduring appeal across cultures and generations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Oren over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Oren in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Oren, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 25 births in 2024, compared with 36 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oren by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Oren was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1010 | 146 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1295 | 211 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1487 | 120 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1966 | 22 | 4 |
Geography
Where Oren is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Oren. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Oren ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #727 in 2024.
Across the UK
Oren in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
8 years of NRS records, 30 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Oren
-
Oren Shevlin
cellist; musician
British cellist
1969-
Related
Names similar to Oren
- Oliver 157,197
- Oscar 67,495
- Owen 33,517
- Ollie 13,193
- Oakley 9,838
- Omar 6,823
- Otis 6,395
- Oskar 4,827
- Olly 4,403
- Otto 3,839
- Osian 3,145
- Owain 2,310
FAQ
Oren: questions and answers
How popular is the name Oren in the UK right now?
In 2024, Oren was ranked #1132 for boys in England and Wales, with 25 births registered.
When was Oren most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 36 babies registered as Oren in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Oren?
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "pine tree".
How many people are called Oren in the UK?
A total of 499 babies have been registered as Oren across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 30 more in Scotland.
Where is Oren most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Oren ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #727 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.