What does Orion mean?
Orion is the great hunter of Greek myth, set among the stars as a constellation.
What does Nikolas mean?
Nikolas means “victory of the people,” the Greek root of Nicholas.
Orion vs Nikolas
Which is more popular?
Orion is more popular than Nikolas today: about 1,012 US babies were given the name Orion in 2025, compared with 375 named Nikolas.
| Orion | Nikolas | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Hunter | Victory of the people |
| Origin | Greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | oh-RY-un | NIK-oh-lus |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1937 |
| Peak year | 2018 (1,152) | 2004 (1,060) |
| In 2025 | 1,012 | 375 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Orion
Nikolas
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Orion | Nikolas |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,039 | 2,564 |
| 2010s | 8,595 | 5,133 |
| 2000s | 4,367 | 7,812 |
| 1990s | 1,852 | 5,946 |
| 1980s | 733 | 1,955 |
| 1970s | 500 | 502 |
| 1960s | 82 | 107 |
| 1950s | 84 | 5 |
| 1940s | 121 | 5 |
| 1930s | 154 | 6 |
| 1920s | 281 | 0 |
| 1910s | 192 | 0 |
| 1900s | 37 | 0 |
| 1890s | 49 | 0 |
| 1880s | 34 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Orion or Nikolas more popular?
Orion is more popular than Nikolas today: about 1,012 US babies were given the name Orion in 2025, compared with 375 named Nikolas.
What is the difference between Orion and Nikolas?
Orion means Hunter (Greek origin), while Nikolas means Victory of the people (Greek origin).
Which name is older, Orion or Nikolas?
In US records, Orion first appears in 1880 and Nikolas in 1937, so Orion has the longer recorded history.