| Matthias | Orion | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | gift of Yahweh | Hunter |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | mə-THY-əs | oh-RY-un |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (854) | 2018 (1,152) |
| In 2025 | 854 | 1,012 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Matthias | Orion |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,176 | 6,039 |
| 2010s | 5,144 | 8,595 |
| 2000s | 2,056 | 4,367 |
| 1990s | 825 | 1,852 |
| 1980s | 527 | 733 |
| 1970s | 258 | 500 |
| 1960s | 179 | 82 |
| 1950s | 80 | 84 |
| 1940s | 69 | 121 |
| 1930s | 64 | 154 |
| 1920s | 118 | 281 |
| 1910s | 142 | 192 |
| 1900s | 0 | 37 |
| 1890s | 15 | 49 |
| 1880s | 23 | 34 |
Greek form of the Hebrew name Mattithiah/Mattathias, from mattath 'gift' + yah (Yahweh), i.e. 'gift of God'. A cognate of Matthew rather than a separate meaning.
Orion is the great hunter of Greek myth, set among the stars as a constellation.
Orion is more popular than Matthias today: about 1,012 US babies were given the name Orion in 2025, compared with 854 named Matthias.
Matthias means gift of Yahweh (greek origin), while Orion means Hunter (Greek origin).
In US records, Matthias first appears in 1880 and Orion in 1880, so Matthias has the longer recorded history.