It was named after 16th century French mathematician Oronce Fine.

[1] It is located to the northwest of the prominent ray crater Tycho, and south and east of the large walled plain Deslandres.

The rim of Orontius is battered, worn, and overlain by a number of different craters.

The southwest half of the crater floor is still fairly flat and marred only by a few small craterlets.

By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater midpoint that is closest to Orontius.