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