Orton

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Orton

Pronounced OR-tuhn /ˈɔːr.tən/Low

Meaning: Orton is an English surname taken from any of several places called Orton, whose name usually joins Old English elements for a ridge, bank, or shore with tun, 'farmstead, settlement.' Used as a first name, it carries the place-and-family sense rather than a new personal meaning.Low

In 30 seconds: Orton is a rare boy's name from the English surname and place name, roughly 'ridge settlement.' It saw brief early-1900s use, peaking around 1921 (said OR-tuhn).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningOrton is an English surname taken from any of several places called Orton, whose name usually joins Old English elements for a ridge, bank, or shore with tun, 'farmstead, settlement.' Used as a first name, it carries the place-and-family sense rather than a new personal meaning.

U.S. rank (1951)#4107 ↘ Falling

1951 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 210

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Orton reaches the given-name column from the English surname, itself drawn from villages called Orton. The name blends an Old English word for a ridge or bank with tun, 'settlement,' so its literal sense is a place, not a trait.

As a first name Orton was always thin, peaking modestly in the early nineteen-twenties before fading. A boy named Orton then would be from the great-grandparent generation now, and the name survives mainly as a surname today.

Did you know? Several English villages named Orton fed the surname, and like many such -ton place-names it later crossed over into first-name use in America.

Overall data confidence 40%

References - Orton — Transferred English surname from place names Orton (ridge/shore + tun 'settlement'); peaked around 1921.

Variations

OrtanOrtenOrtonOrtun

Nicknames

OrtOrtie

Famous Bearers

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Alton— a same-style English place-and-surname name

Morton— a near-rhyming -ton surname first name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Orton mean?

It comes from the English surname and place name Orton, usually 'settlement by a ridge or shore,' from Old English elements plus tun.

How do you pronounce Orton?

It is said OR-tuhn /ˈɔːr.tən/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Orton a boy or girl name?

Orton is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Orton?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its early-century high, and it never became common.