Orlando Boy

Popularity: #670 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: or-LAN-do /ɔːrˈlændoʊ/

Origin: Italian; Spanish; Latin

Meaning: Italian: 'renowned land'; Latin: 'from the land of the famous'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Orlando has its roots in the Germanic name 'Hroland', which is composed of the elements 'hrod', meaning 'fame', and 'land', meaning 'land' or 'territory'. This name evolved through various linguistic stages, first appearing in Old High German as 'Hrothland'.

The name was later Latinized to 'Rolandus' in the medieval period, which subsequently influenced its adaptation into Romance languages. The transition into English occurred through the Old French form 'Orlando', which became popularized in the context of literature and culture during the Renaissance.

A significant historical milestone for the name Orlando is its association with the character Orlando in Ludovico Ariosto's epic poem 'Orlando Furioso', published in the early 16th century. This work was pivotal in shaping the romantic and chivalric ideals of the time, and it introduced the character of Orlando as a heroic knight driven by love and honor.

The poem's influence extended beyond Italy, inspiring various adaptations in English literature, including works by Shakespeare and later writers, which helped cement the name's place in literary tradition. Culturally, the name Orlando has been associated with notions of bravery, adventure, and romanticism, reflecting the characteristics of its literary namesake.

The name has also been embraced in various artistic expressions, including opera and theater, further enhancing its cultural resonance. Additionally, the diminutive form 'Lando' has been used in some contexts, though Orlando remains the more recognized version.

Overall, the name Orlando carries a rich historical and cultural significance, tracing its lineage through language, literature, and the arts.

Famous people named Orlando

In this section, you will find notable people named Orlando. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Orlando who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Orlando who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Orlando Bloom is an actor best known for The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Troy.

Orlando Jones is an actor and comedian best known for Mad TV, The Replacements, and American Gods.

Fictional characters named Orlando

The following list of fictional characters named Orlando is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Orlando is a fictional character from the novel Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf. They are a gender-fluid character who experiences life across several centuries, exploring themes of identity and transformation.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Orlando, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JulianSebastianAdrianLorenzoMatteoGiovanni

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Orlando. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

LorenzoAlessandroGiovanniRinaldoFernandoSalvadorEmilianoMarco

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Orlando was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Orlando has ranked as high as #536 nationally, which occurred in 1987, and has been most popular in Texas, California, New York, Illinois, and New Mexico.

In the past 5 years the name Orlando has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Orlando is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Orlando was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Orlando.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 275 275 0
2024 289 289 0
2023 329 329 0
2022 307 307 0
2021 336 336 0
2020 307 307 0
2019 337 337 0
2018 379 379 0
2017 393 393 0
2016 430 430 0
2015 438 438 0
2014 493 493 0
2013 471 471 0
2012 590 590 0
2011 545 545 0
2010 634 634 0
2009 719 719 0
2008 697 697 0
2007 860 860 0
2006 853 853 0
2005 813 813 0
2004 779 779 0
2003 702 702 0
2002 708 708 0
2001 731 731 0
2000 634 634 0
1999 680 680 0
1998 629 629 0
1997 645 645 0
1996 654 649 5
1995 665 659 6
1994 666 661 5
1993 691 691 0
1992 669 663 6
1991 793 787 6
1990 805 800 5
1989 847 839 8
1988 884 875 9
1987 889 877 12
1986 826 817 9
1985 743 730 13
1984 666 661 5
1983 688 688 0
1982 695 690 5
1981 717 717 0
1980 756 743 13
1979 703 695 8
1978 647 636 11
1977 700 688 12
1976 651 651 0
1975 853 843 10
1974 730 719 11
1973 632 626 6
1972 637 628 9
1971 685 676 9
1970 728 718 10
1969 634 627 7
1968 657 651 6
1967 589 584 5
1966 528 528 0
1965 584 578 6
1964 606 606 0
1963 685 678 7
1962 670 665 5
1961 610 603 7
1960 457 451 6
1959 429 429 0
1958 381 381 0
1957 350 350 0
1956 342 342 0
1955 273 273 0
1954 274 274 0
1953 217 217 0
1952 173 173 0
1951 175 175 0
1950 163 163 0
1949 128 128 0
1948 109 109 0
1947 153 153 0
1946 115 115 0
1945 95 95 0
1944 83 83 0
1943 103 103 0
1942 116 116 0
1941 117 117 0
1940 115 115 0
1939 119 119 0
1938 97 97 0
1937 94 94 0
1936 97 97 0
1935 100 100 0
1934 108 108 0
1933 101 101 0
1932 88 88 0
1931 111 111 0
1930 114 114 0
1929 101 101 0
1928 137 137 0
1927 136 136 0
1926 149 149 0
1925 171 171 0
1924 175 175 0
1923 186 186 0
1922 179 179 0
1921 192 192 0
1920 181 181 0
1919 230 230 0
1918 184 184 0
1917 156 156 0
1916 121 121 0
1915 146 146 0
1914 101 101 0
1913 76 76 0
1912 68 68 0
1911 27 27 0
1910 26 26 0
1909 16 16 0
1908 18 18 0
1907 18 18 0
1906 17 17 0
1905 10 10 0
1904 9 9 0
1903 8 8 0
1902 10 10 0
1901 9 9 0
1900 15 15 0
1899 10 10 0
1898 9 9 0
1897 10 10 0
1896 5 5 0
1895 13 13 0
1894 14 14 0
1893 11 11 0
1892 15 15 0
1891 11 11 0
1890 6 6 0
1889 12 12 0
1888 14 14 0
1887 11 11 0
1886 13 13 0
1885 16 16 0
1884 12 12 0
1883 11 11 0
1882 13 13 0
1881 19 19 0
1880 16 16 0

Top States for Orlando (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 67
29%
CA 54
24%
IL 15
7%
FL 14
6%
GA 10
4%
WA 10
4%
CO 10
4%
AZ 10
4%
SC 9
4%
NY 7
3%
VA 7
3%
NJ 6
3%
IN 5
2%
PA 5
2%