NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Orion

A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "hunter" or "son of fire".

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.

Orion is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Orion popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #406, with 100 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 100 births.

This profile covers 1,125 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 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.

Orion is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 1,138 living people in the UK are called Orion. 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

  • Orion ranked #406 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 100 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 100 boys were registered as Orion.
  • Orion ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #619 in 2024.
  • About 1,138 living people in the UK are estimated to have Orion as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.7% of Orion registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#406

2024

Births in 2024

100

Latest year

Peak year

2024

100 births

Estimated living

1,138

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Orion

In England and Wales birth records, Orion has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.7% of registrations are for boys and 0.3% 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.

100% boys
Boys1,125 (99.7%)Girls3 (0.3%)

Orion registered for boys

  • Ranked #406 in 2024
  • 100 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (100 births)

Orion registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,891 in 2024
  • 3 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (3 births)

Meaning

What does Orion mean?

The name Orion has its origins in Greek mythology, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "Oros," meaning "mountain" or "hill." The name was given to a prominent hunter in Greek legends, who was later immortalized as a constellation in the night sky.

In Greek mythology, Orion was a handsome and skilled hunter who boasted of his abilities to the point of hubris. According to the tales, he was either blinded or killed by a scorpion sent by the gods to punish his arrogance. However, Zeus, the king of the gods, admired Orion's prowess and placed him among the stars as a constellation.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Orion can be found in the works of ancient Greek poets and writers, such as Hesiod and Homer. In the Odyssey, Homer describes Orion as a formidable hunter who was eventually slain by Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Orion. One of the earliest was Orion of Thebes, a Greek mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 5th century BC. He is credited with introducing the concept of the celestial sphere and writing works on astronomy.

In the 1st century AD, Orion of Alexandria was a renowned Greek grammarian and philologist. He is best known for his work on the Etymologicum, a dictionary of Greek words and their origins.

During the Renaissance period, Orion Fine Olavius (1548-1623) was a Danish astronomer and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and published several works on astronomy.

In the 18th century, Orion Anderson (1766-1857) was a renowned American Revolutionary War soldier and politician who served as a Senator from Tennessee.

More recently, Orion Samuelson (born 1934) is an American agricultural journalist and broadcaster who has been a prominent voice in the farming community for over six decades.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Orion, a name that has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and has been associated with the stars, astronomy, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Orion over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Orion in England and Wales, from 1997 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 Orion, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 100 births in 2024, compared with 100 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0265277103199720102024

Decades

Orion by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Orion 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 #444 456 5
2010s #751 527 10
2000s #1499 127 10
1990s #2199 15 3

Geography

Where Orion is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Orion. 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.

Orion ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #619 in 2024.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Orion in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#619 in 2024

5 years of NRS records, 20 total registered

Related

Names similar to Orion

FAQ

Orion: questions and answers

How popular is the name Orion in the UK right now?

In 2024, Orion was ranked #406 for boys in England and Wales, with 100 births registered.

When was Orion most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 100 babies registered as Orion in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Orion?

A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "hunter" or "son of fire".

How many people are called Orion in the UK?

A total of 1,125 babies have been registered as Orion across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 20 more in Scotland.

Where is Orion most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Orion ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #619 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.