Holding steady.
Popularity of Orris since 1894
Babies named Orris per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Orris's real moment was 1901.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 13 |
| 1900s | 41 |
| 1910s | 244 |
| 1920s | 303 |
| 1930s | 163 |
| 1940s | 104 |
| 1950s | 45 |
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Orris is a rare name with multiple possible origins. First recorded in U.S. data in 1894, it saw its peak year in 1901, though it has never ranked among the top names. The name's trajectory has been stable but at very low usage levels, and it is not recorded in any top states. Its obscurity makes it a distinctive choice, though its meaning remains debated. The most plausible connections are to the Latin name Horace or to the plant orris, but neither is firmly established.
Orris may be a variant of Horace, from the Latin Horatius, a Roman family name of uncertain meaning. Alternatively, it could be a surname derived from the Middle English personal name Ode or Odd. The name is also identical to the plant orris, the root of certain irises used in perfumery. It saw modest use in the United States around the turn of the 20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Orry
Sibling names for Orris
Names that share Orris's style, for a brother or sister.
