Ori
Masculine · “my light”
Ori is given to both — 1,619 boys and 347 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Ori is my light in Hebrew — or, the light created on the first day of Genesis, with a possessive ending.
How old is the name Ori?
Ori first appears in US birth records in 1971 — 54 years ago. The typical Ori is a kid of about 12 — this name's wave is very recent. About 1,600 people named Ori are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ori most popular?
Ori peaked in 2024, reaching #1556 nationally. Today it ranks #1992, 436 places below that high. See the whole 2024 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From or to Ori
The story of Ori
Light is the first thing created in Genesis, and the word or runs through Hebrew liturgy and poetry. Modern Israeli naming built a family on it — Ori, Orit, Lior, Liora, Ornit. Ori is used for both sexes in Israel. Israeli emigration brought it to America, where it appears in the registers and is in current use.
Meaning
my light
From the Hebrew or, 'light', with the first-person possessive — so 'my light'. The Psalms open a line with adonai ori, 'the Lord is my light'. A separate Japanese Ori means 'weaving'. The Hebrew is ordinary and the meaning undisputed.
How the name formed
- or
- Ori
Related forms: אורי · Orit · 織
Pronouncing Ori
OR-ee
Two syllables, stress on the first in American use. Hebrew places it on the second, o-REE.
Nicknames for Ori
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1971
- Most boys named
- 2024112 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1556reached in 2024
- Change vs 2024
- −32.1%76 in 2025, from 112
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Ori in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- אורי in Hebrew — transliteration
- Orit in Hebrew — related form
- 織 in Japanese — transliteration
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, New York, Florida.
Oris among us
people named Ori are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 22,475 born in 2025 was named Ori
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Cortland test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Ori's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Cortland climbed just as high around 1991, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Cortland's path sketches the road Ori is walking now.
Ori sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Ori is headed
Ori looks set to keep climbing gently, with roughly 29% more babies a year by 2030 if the current curve holds.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Ori beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ori in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The my-light meaning is transparent, undisputed and unusually direct.
- The Psalm line 'the Lord is my light' uses the same word.
- Three letters, two syllables, and never misheard.
- It is thoroughly unisex in Israeli use.
- The stress placement differs between Hebrew and American readings.
- It is very short and can be swallowed by a long surname.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Ori
Masculine · #1992 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Oris are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,600 people named Ori are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ori in 2025?
- Ori ranks #1992 among US boy names in 2025, with 76 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ori?
- About 1 in every 22,475 US boys born in 2025 was named Ori — 76 in all.
- Will my child share the name Ori with classmates?
- Ori will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Ori
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Paolo#1992 · Chosyn#1992 · Cadence#1992 · Buck#1992 · Hashim#1992 · Exodus#1992 · Abubakr#1992 · Jed#1992
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ori? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ori and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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