Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Orell isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In German use, Orell shares an earlier linguistic root with Aurèle. The history of Aurèle gives this family its wider story. Aurèle’s historical associations include various saints, including a 5th-century archbishop of Carthage.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Orell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 202
- 158 boys · 44 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 16 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1979. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 9 in 1921. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 146 as a first name in 2020; 212 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Orell’s family of names
Orell shares a linguistic root with Aurèle. In German usage, Orell has a related form in Aurelius. Orell is a form of Aurelius.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
Similar names
If you love Orell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Odell
“a sweet melody” · “one who is wealthy”
98% boys · 2% girls
Oran
“surrounded by light” · “a pale-skinned man”
>99% boys
Lovell
“having a soft spirit” · “resembling a young wolf”
92% boys · 8% girls
Olen
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Orville
“from the gold town”
>99% boys
Olan
“the last of the ancestors”
>99% boys
Ottis
“a wealthy man” · “one who is acute”
>99% boys
Orin
“a dark-haired beauty”
99% boys · 1% girls