Given name & surname
Ori
“surrounded by the light of truth”
Ori is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “surrounded by the light of truth.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “surrounded by the light of truth.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ori through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,966
- 1,619 boys · 347 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 152 babies
- 2025
- 107
- #2,002 for boys · #4,525 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +43%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 74% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 76 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,002 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 31 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,597 as a first name in 2020; 679 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.
Ori’s family of names
Ori has a related form in Orie. Ori has a related form in Ory. Ori has a related form in Oree.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ori
- Ori OrrIsraeli politicianborn 1939
- Ori SivanIsraeli film director and screenwriterborn 1963
- Ori KoboIsraeli chess playerborn 1997
- Ori ReismanIsraeli painter (1924-1991)
- Ori Shavitvegan food journalist and animal rights advocateborn 1972
- Ori KaplanIsraeli musicianborn 1969
- Dudu FarukIsraeli rapper, actorborn 1996
- Ori PfefferIsraeli actorborn 1975
- Ori GershtIsraeli photographer (born 1967)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ori, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Azariah
“one who is helped by God”
52% boys · 48% girls
Akari
61% boys · 39% girls
Amari
“having great strength; a builder”
66% boys · 34% girls
Covey
“a brood of birds”
64% boys · 36% girls
Kamari
Kamari is a masculine given name.
72% boys · 28% girls
Armani
“one who is desired; a goal”
56% boys · 44% girls
Micaiah
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
73% boys · 27% girls
Tru
“one who is honest”
64% boys · 36% girls