A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Orel since 1883
Babies named Orel per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Orel's real moment was 1891.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 5 |
| 1890s | 0 | 5 |
| 1900s | 0 | 12 |
| 1910s | 117 | 122 |
| 1920s | 13 | 105 |
| 1930s | 0 | 72 |
| 1940s | 0 | 29 |
| 1950s | 0 | 5 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 7 |
| 1980s | 0 | 21 |
| 1990s | 0 | 54 |
| 2000s | 6 | 70 |
| 2010s | 0 | 31 |
| 2020s | 0 | 24 |
Meaning & origin
Orel is a rare Slavic name meaning 'eagle', first recorded in the United States in 1883. It peaked in 1891 and has been rising in usage since 2019, though it remains uncommon with a 2025 rank of 10,695 and a frequency of 1 in 284,679 boys. The name is most known through Slavic culture and offers a strong, nature-inspired choice for parents seeking something distinctive.
Orel is derived from the Slavic word for 'eagle' (orel in several Slavic languages). As a given name, it is used primarily in Russia, Ukraine, and other Slavic countries, sometimes as a short form of names containing the element. It has seen occasional use in English-speaking countries since the late 19th century.
“Orel” around the world
Where Orel lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Orël, Oryol
Sibling names for Orel
Names that share Orel's style, for a brother or sister.
