From an English surname which was originally a nickname meaning "bear cub", from a diminutive of Norman French ors "bear", ultimately from Latin ursus. American actor and director Orson Welles (1915-1985) was a famous bearer of this name. Orson is an English name with Old French origins. It is derived from the Old French name "Ourson", itself derived from the words "ors", which means "bear", or the Latin word "ursus", which means "bear cub".
