Orson began as a Norman French nickname, ourson, meaning "bear cub" or "little bear", from the Latin ursus. It is remembered above all through Orson Welles, the director and star of Citizen Kane, and it fits the current taste for short, sturdy names like Otis and Otto. Orson has never been in the US top 1000 in this century, but it has climbed from number 2126 in 2015 to number 1400 in 2023 and ranks 1433 in 2025.