The baby name Orrin blends more than one backstory for an intriguing, culture-spanning possibility for a son.
Thanks to Jess for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day, and to Jenny for requesting an update.
SAINT ODHRAN
Saint Odhran, sometimes written Odran, was a fifth century companion of St. Patrick, and helped bring Christianity to Ireland. Legend has it that he drove Patrick’s chariot, and died at the helm during a pagan ambush.
About a century later, another Saint Odhran accompanied Saint Columba to Scotland and helped establish his monastery.
The “d” in Odhran is silent, so even the old school spelling leads to a reasonably familiar pronunciation.
When a name has been around for more than a millennium, landing on the most common spelling can be tricky. Beyond Odhran, Odran, and Otteran different spellings include Oran, an early Anglicization of the name.
Other spellings suggest different origins and more than one meaning of Orrin.
MEANINGS of the NAME
Or should that be meanings of the names?
The Gaelic word odhra is a color. Sometimes it’s translated as pale green, but it might also refer to dun, a brown gray or maybe a blue gray. Like roan, dun usually refers to a horse’s coat.
Adding the diminutive “an” ending is common in Irish male personal names – think Aidan and Ronan. It means little.
So besides their saintly roots, Odhran and Oran probably reference the color. If you see a meaning like “little green one,” it’s that -an ending at work.
Spelled Oren, it’s a Hebrew name that means pine tree. (Maybe that’s another point for the color green.)
Speaking of Hebrew, Oran is sometimes connected to the element Or, meaning light. (It’s shared by names like Ori and Lior.) There’s also Ran in Hebrew, which takes on a musical meaning – sometimes given as song; or possibly “filled with song.”
But, but, but … òran is also the Scots Gaelic word for son. Then again, the River Orrin is found in the Scottish Highlands; it leads into the Falls of Orrin.
Orrin might be a different spelling of any of these. It’s typically linked to the Gaelic origin.
EVEN MORE SPELLINGS and MEANINGS
Orin is yet another possibility. Some connect Orin to the Greek Orestes, a mythological name meaning “of the mountains.” Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra likely gave the name to a character precisely because of the similarity to Orestes.
Some sites even list it as a variant of Aaron, but that seems like more of a stretch.
And while it probably doesn’t impact the use of Oran as a given name in the US, it’s worth noting that Oran is a coastal city in northwest Algeria. The name comes from a Berber phrase: wa-iharan, place of the lions. That suggests bravery and strength.
While they’re not common, spellings like Orran and Orren are sometimes seen, too.
Some cultures group the baby name Orrin with unisex names, and there are a few in the US, depending on spelling.
Ori could be Hebrew. But spell it Orry, Orrey, or even Orrie, and it’s either an obvious Orrin nickname or a surname related to Urey, ulimately derived from the Germanic Ulrich. Ulrich combines elements meaning “heritage” and “ruler.”
BY the NUMBERS
Pinning down the baby name Orrin’s popularity is a challenge. The US Social Security Administration shares data on any name given to at least five boys or five girls in any given year, all the way back to 1880. But each individual spellings counts as a separate name.
Time for some math!
- The most popular spelling, Oren, was given to 139 boys and five girls in 2022.
- The baby name Orrin was given to 60 boys and fewer than five girls.
- 17 boys and fewer than five girls were named Oran.
- Another nine boys were named Orren.
- Seven boys received the authentically Gaelic nameOdhran.
- Fewer than five boys were named Orran, but it has been used in the US.
Many of these spellings were far more popular in the past.
Orrin ranked in the US Top every year until 1947, and disappeared entirely after 1961; Oren was gone after 1953; Orin after 1951 and Oran after 1949. So you were more likely to meet an Orrin – choose your spelling – in the early 1900s or mid-20th century than today.
In recent years, the baby name Oran appeared in Ireland’s Top 100. It’s fading there, too. However, accent-free spelling Odhran as well as the Gaelic name Odhrán are both more popular. In Northern Ireland, Odhrán has ranked in the Top 50 over the last decade.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
If you’re seeking a name that celebrates Gaelic culture, Odhran and Oran feel like the logical choices. Oren suggests Hebrew roots. And Orrin might feel a little bit Scottish.
Perhaps Orrin’s strength, though, is the ability to effortlessly cross cultural barriers. It’s a meaningful name, but a flexible one, too; the name of a river and the name of a saint. While it was a more popular choice in the past, the baby name Orrin remains familiar enough to hit the sweet spot for many families.
FAMOUS FICTIONAL CHARACTERS and NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS
Maybe because the baby name Orrin is so flexible, it’s been given to many famous fictional characters. A handful of real-life Orrins also come to mind.
Orrin Hatch, a long-serving member of the United States Senate from Utah, might be the most famous bearer of the name in recent memory. Other Orrins include:
- Orrin Miller was a prominent Mormon leader in Utah at the turn of the twentieth century
- Jazz aficionados might think of Orrin Keepnews, co-founder of influential jazz record labels, Riverside Records
- There’s also jazz pianist Orrin Evans
- Orrin Pilkey is a well-known environmentalist and conservationist at Duke University
- Louis L’Amour used the name Orrin Sackett in several stories and novels
- 1960s television sitcom Petticoat Junction added the kind, but bumbling Orrin, in later seasons
- Journalist and comic book publisher Orrin C. Evans created the first comic imprint created by and for an African-American audience
Spell it Orin, and that brings up:
- Orin Smith, former CEO of Starbucks
- Motorcycle-driving dentist Orin Scrivello in Little Shop of Horrors
- DC Comics associated the name with Aquaman, often using Orin as Arthur Curry’s Atalantean name
- Video game series Touhou Project features a character named Rin – called Orin as a nickname
- There’s also a video game character known as Orin the Red in the Baldur’s Gate universe; it sounds like something out of Norse mythology, but that’s one heritage this name cannot easily claim
- Parks and Recreation included a minor character by the name
And then there’s Oran:
- Oran Milo Roberts served as governor of Texas in the late 1800s.
- Oran “Hot Lips” Page was a jazz trumpeter in the first half of the twentieth century
This is just a smattering of famous people with some variant of the name.
VERSATILE and RARE
Recent trends have pushed more O names into the spotlight. Besides Oliver and Owen, O names like Otto and Otis, Ocean and Oakley, Onyx, Oscar, and Omar are all on the rise. If a single spelling of Orrin dominated, odds are this antique gem would return to the Top 1000.
But for now, it remains both versatile and rare. It’s easy to imagine the baby name Orrin with Gaelic roots or a completely separate cultural significance. It’s the kind of name that suits a jazz musician as easily as a businessman.
If you don’t mind correcting the spelling – probably with some frequency – the baby name Orrin makes for a very wearable choice for a son born now.
What do you think of the baby name Orrin?
Originally published on August 6, 2008, this post was revised and republished on September 8, 2023.
Oh super! Thanks Abby!
Hi Abby, this is an old post and not sure if you’ll see this, but wondering if you remember in your research for this name looking into the Gaelic translation for Oran? It’s a word/name that’s used often for music venues in central Scotland where I’m from, and I’ve always been told that Oran translates directly to “song”… rather than green. Your research is always so detailed and accurate, so I’m now doubting what I’ve heard historically. I’m considering Oran for a son at the moment, so it would be amazing to get any insight from you.
OH! Yes, thank you for the reminder! It *is* the Scots Gaelic translation of song: òran. (Like this performance of “Song of the Seal.”)
I’ve made a note to update this post next week. Stay tuned!!
I’m an Orrin – Last name. My father was raised in Mexico City with his Father & Mother to include my great grandfather. I’ve never meet any other folks with the last name Orrin
An interesting bit of Oran/Orrin/Orin/Oren trivia is that one of DC Comic Character Aquaman’s names is “Orin”. Although it’s said to be of Atlantean origin. If you Google, Aquaman and Orin, you’ll see the data.
There is now an Orren playing Australian Rules Football for the Geelong Football Club (reigning premiers). Will definitely lift the names profile here down under!
He said in an interview he was named after a character played by Tom Selleck in a western.
Haha thats my name. Im scottish
My five month old son is also called Orrin, and we are Australian – trust me there aren’t many Orries down here 🙂 We named him after the river in Scotland, and we also found a source which said it meant ‘otter’ in Old Irish. He is a brother to Freya and April. Suits him to a tee – can’t imagine him as anything else. To me, Orrin is synonymous with loveable and easygoing.
Great name.
My 4 month old is Oren Gabriel. We are Jewish.
Congrats on the new baby, Kaila! Great name.
My 5 month old sons name is Orrin!
Congrats on your little guy, Ashley. Is he your first, or does he have nicely named siblings? 🙂
I was born in 1960. My mom named me after her maternal grandfather, Oran who was born in 1880 (d.1975). She said she chose to use “the Irish spelling” of “Orrin” for me. The funny thing is that my parents and family always called me “Dougie” and eventually “Doug”. “Douglas” is my middle name after my mom’s favorite uncle on her dad’s side. I was fortunate to be able to spend several Summer breaks with my Great grandfather Oran. He always called me “Orrin Douglas”, using both names. He was happy, I think, that my mom named me after him. And I’m proud of my name even though usually I am called “Orrin” only at the doctor’s office or the DMV.
Wow! That’s very similar to my story. I was named after my great-grandfather. His name was O.K. Fowler. The O.K. stand for Orrin Knox. My grandma alway told me that he was “ok” too, meaning she really love him.
My mom, my grandma on my dad’s side, and my most precious aunt, always called me by my first and middle name Orrin Ray.
Great history! My great-grandfather was Oran but I think I prefer the Orrin spelling. I would like to use it but I hope it does not become the next Owen, or worse, Aiden…
been named orrin for over 87 years and my father’s and grandfather’s name was also Orrin
The first appearance in my geneological tree was my Grand father: Orrin Millard and my father’s name was Orrin Millard Walker,and my son’s name is Orrin Leopold, named for me and his Grandfather. Leopold DeLandtsheer
Really nice aritcle! It’s nice that people actually like the name. I always felt so akward when i was a child because i am fairly young and the only people i knew with the name were over 50.
Really interesting article! You did me proud, to be sure! I like this name so much. And I’m really encouraged to see that others like it as well. Perhaps it will be the hip name of 2025! Thanks for researching this despite its foggy origins.
Funny to see this here. The lady across the street, already mother to Laura, Natalie & Conor is pregnant with #4 and is set on Orin if it’s a boy (they’re not finding out and she’s not due ’til April ’09).
I quite like it, actually. Easy to figure out how to say it, easy to spell, manly, strong… what’s not to love. I’m rather fond of Orry as a possible nickname, thanks to John Jakes “North & South” (which I read, long before I saw). Yeah, I’m always looking out for nickname possibilities. I like me my nicknames! 😛
I think it’s interesting that Oren is a seperate name in origin because it’s the way I want to spell the name based on sound along. The others look a bit off to my eye (says she who is trying to figure out how to use Lettice!) I agree with DH, good, simple names are hard to fiind and this is a grand one! Really fantastic. I think it’s a good “fits in yet stands out” name. with the -n ending, yet his O- beginning is awesome. I love the letter O !
Another, given your comments on Ira, I was fairly certain that would be the case. 🙂
And DH, I’m keeping this in mind for my neighbors, who already have a Connor and a Ronan – though I suspect that Oran/Odhran is too close to Ronan. (And she insists that she’s done having children, but given how wild she is about babies, well … never say never.)
Well, the Oren I know is Jewish, so it’s my bet he wasn’t named after an Irish saint. 🙂
Very interesting . . . isn’t funny how the most seemingly simple names can have the most complex histories?
I like Orrin and Oren and even his crazy Irish cousin Odran. It’s hard to find simple names that aren’t overused, and this is a good one. I don’t think it would work in my family, but I think it’s a great suggestion for parents looking for an uncommon, authentic Irish boy’s name.
my names orrin and there are hardly anyone with the name orrin and it’s pretty annoying
i beg to differ!!!! my name is Orrin Wells!!!!
The GREAT ORRIN HUNTER
So is mine…orrin brown
Orrin Gunnell is the best… I’m “Rulon”… (mah middle name too)!
Good question – sorry it was unclear. IMHO, it really isn’t a separate name anymore – it seems to be used interchangeably with the other spellings. But technically, Oren *is* a Hebrew name unrelated to Odhran.
As it happens, their meanings are compatible – Oren means “pine tree” and Odhran means “green.”
So while they come from completely different linguistic backgrounds and aren’t linked, it appears that in common usage, they’re effectively two versions of the same name. I’m basing that conclusion on:
1. The fact that all of the names seem to fall out of the popularity rankings around the same time. When variants rise and fall together, it suggests (to me, at least) that parents are looking at them interchangeably.
2. My general impression from census records in the public domain, which means they’re all from the 1930s or older. I can usually spot a link between at least some bearers of the first name and their surnames’ origins. (Though I’m always cautious to read too much into what can be a false impression based on limited data.) But in this case, it appears that there was simply no consensus on the best spelling. A 19th century mother, I assume, would simply have spelled Orren/Oren/Orrin/Oran as it seemed to make sense to her at the time. Still happens today, right? Anyhow, it makes me suspect that plenty of Orens considered themselves named after the Irish saint and never heard of the other derivation.
I’m never quite sure what to do when names merge like this – it’s tempting to treat them as variant spellings, but that’s not quite the whole story. It’s that messy “What does my name mean?” question – it has so much to do with what the parents intended and what they believed about the name they chose. So while Oren has his own backstory, separate from Odhran, it’s reasonable to see them as linked.
How is Oren different? The only one I’ve ever known was Oren – he’s in his 40s. What makes it a “completely separate name”?