The first name Orville
A boy’s name.
2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Invented by Fanny Burney for the hero of her novel Evelina. It has been suggested that it is based on the very old Welsh forename of Eurfyl, meaning 'gold'.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Orville last appeared in the official list in 2003, given to 3 boys.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Orville with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Orville at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 14 boys born in the United States were named Orville, the 6,347th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1920, when 1,195 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Orville in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Orville
10 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Orville WrightAmerican aviation pioneer (1871–1948)
- Orville GibsonAmerican luthier (1856–1918)
- Orville TurnquestBahamian politician, born 1929
- Orville FreemanAmerican politician (1918-2003)
- Orville Hickman BrowningAmerican politician (1806-1881)
- Orville H. PlattAmerican politician (1827-1905)
- Orville BrownAmerican professional wrestler, 1908–1981
- Jereboam Orville BeauchampAmerican executed murderer (1802–1826)
- Lefty FrizzellAmerican country singer-songwriter (1928–1975)
- Joseph O. ShelbyConfederate States Army general (1830–1897)
Questions
- What does the name Orville mean?
- Invented by Fanny Burney for the hero of her novel Evelina. It has been suggested that it is based on the very old Welsh forename of Eurfyl, meaning 'gold'.
- How popular is the name Orville?
- In 2003, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Orville, ranking 3,467th.
- Is Orville a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 35,220 US babies named Orville since 1880 were boys.
- When was Orville most popular?
- 1920 in the United States, when 1,195 babies were named Orville, its highest rank at 134th.