Holding steady.
Popularity of Orby since 1913
Babies named Orby per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Orby's real moment was 1913.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 31 |
| 1920s | 72 |
| 1930s | 31 |
| 1940s | 17 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Orby is a name that has flickered at the edges of U.S. naming records for over a century without ever gaining traction. Its first recorded appearance was in 1913, when exactly 5 babies received the name (according to Social Security data), making that year its peak. The name has seen no resurgence in recent decades; the trajectory remains stable, indicating essentially zero or negligible usage in any given year. With no top states and no measurable one-in-N frequency, Orby is one of the rarest names in the dataset. Despite its obscurity, its similarity to names like Orville and Aubrey gives it a familiar, vintage feel. Parents drawn to short, unusual names with a retro dusting may find Orby intriguing, though it carries no established meaning or cultural heft.
Orby first appeared in U.S. records in 1913 but has never been common, suggesting it may be a respelling of Orbie, itself a diminutive of names such as Orville or Orson. Alternatively, it could be a modern coinage possibly influenced by the word 'orb' or a playful variation of Aubrey. Its sporadic use in the early 20th century with no clear peak points to an invented or transferred surname origin.
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Orbie
Sibling names for Orby
Names that share Orby's style, for a brother or sister.
