Om m Hindi, MarathiFrom Sanskrit
ओम् (om), considered to be a sacred syllable because it represents the range of sounds that can be made by the human voice.
Omar 1 m Arabic, Bosnian, Kazakh, Malay, English, Spanish, ItalianAlternate transcription of Arabic
عمر (see
Umar). This is the usual English spelling of the name of the 12th-century poet Umar Khayyam. In his honour it has sometimes been used in the English-speaking world, notably for the American general Omar Bradley (1893-1981).
Omega m & f VariousFrom the name of the last letter in the Greek alphabet,
Ω. It is often seen as a symbol of completion.
Omer m & f HebrewMeans
"sheaf of wheat" in Hebrew.
Omondi m LuoMeans
"born early in the morning" in Luo.
Omri m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewPossibly means
"servant" in Hebrew (or a related Semitic language), from the root
עָמַר (ʿamar) meaning "to bind". This was the name of a 9th-century BC military commander who became king of Israel. He appears in the Old Testament, where he is denounced as being wicked.
Onangwatgo m Oneida (Anglicized)Means
"big medicine" in Oneida, from
onúhkwaht "medicine" and the suffix
-koó "big, great". This was the name of a chief of the Oneida people, also named Cornelius Hill (1834-1907).
Onesimus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimos), which meant
"beneficial, profitable". Saint Onesimus was an escaped slave of
Philemon who met Saint
Paul while in prison and was converted by him. Paul sent him back to Philemon carrying the epistle that appears in the New Testament.
Onesiphorus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Ὀνησίφορος (Onesiphoros), which meant
"bringing advantage, beneficial". This name is mentioned briefly in
Paul's second epistle to
Timothy in the New Testament. According to tradition he was martyred by being tied to horses and then torn apart.
Onur m TurkishMeans
"honour" in Turkish (borrowed from French
honneur).
Onyx m & f EnglishFrom the English word for the gemstone (a variety of chalcedony), which can be black, red or other colours. It is derived from Greek
ὄνυξ (onyx) meaning "claw, nail".
Opeyemi f & m YorubaMeans
"gratitude is suitable for me" in Yoruba.
Ophir m & f Biblical, HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אוֹפִיר (ʾOfir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).
Ophiuchus m AstronomyLatinized form of Greek
Ὀφιοῦχος (Ophiouchos) meaning
"serpent bearer". This is the name of an equatorial constellation that depicts the god
Asklepios holding a snake.
Ophrah m BiblicalMeans
"fawn" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of both a man mentioned in genealogies and a city in Manasseh.
Ora 1 f & m EnglishPerhaps based on Latin
oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.
Oral m EnglishMeaning uncertain. This name was borne by the influential American evangelist Oral Roberts (1918-2009), who was apparently named by his cousin.
Oraz m Turkmen, KazakhMeans
"fasting, Ramadan" in Turkmen and Kazakh (of Persian origin).
Orhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
or, of uncertain meaning, possibly from a Turkic root meaning "place", and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader". This was the name of a 14th-century sultan of the Ottoman Empire.
Origen m HistoryFrom the Greek name
Ὠριγένης (Origenes), which was possibly derived from the name of the Egyptian god
Horus combined with
γενής (genes) meaning "born". Origen was a 3rd-century theologian from Alexandria. Long after his death some of his writings were declared heretical, hence he is not regarded as a saint.
Oriol m CatalanFrom a Catalan surname meaning
"golden". It has been used in honour of Saint Joseph Oriol (1650-1702).
Orion m Greek MythologyMeaning uncertain, but possibly related to Greek
ὅριον (horion) meaning
"boundary, limit". Alternatively it may be derived from Akkadian
Uru-anna meaning
"light of the heavens". This is the name of a constellation, which gets its name from a legendary Greek hunter who was killed by a scorpion sent by the earth goddess
Gaia.
Orlando m Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Carolingian CycleItalian form of
Roland, as used in the epic poems
Orlando Innamorato (1483) by Matteo Maria Boiardo and the continuation
Orlando Furioso (1532) by Ludovico Ariosto. In the poems, Orlando is a knight in
Charlemagne's army who battles against the invading Saracens. A character in Shakespeare's play
As You Like It (1599) also bears this name, as does a city in Florida.
Ormond m English (Rare)From an Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Ruaidh, derived from the given name
Ruadh.
Orpheus m Greek MythologyPerhaps related to Greek
ὄρφνη (orphne) meaning
"the darkness of night". In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre, and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Unfortunately, just before they arrived his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades.
Orrell m English (Rare)From a surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"ore hill" in Old English.
Orsino m Italian (Rare)Italian form of the Roman name
Ursinus, itself derived from
Ursus (see
Urs). This is the name of a duke in Shakespeare's comedy
Twelfth Night (1602).
Orson m EnglishFrom a Norman nickname derived 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.
Ortwin m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
ort "point" and
wini "friend". This is the name of
Gudrun's brother in the medieval German epic
Kudrun.
Orville m EnglishThis name was invented by the 18th-century writer Fanny Burney, who perhaps intended it to mean
"golden city" in French. Orville Wright (1871-1948), together with his brother Wilbur, invented the first successful airplane.
Osamu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
修 (osamu) meaning "discipline, study", as well as other kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Osbert m English (Rare)Derived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
beorht "bright". After the Norman Conquest, this Old English name was merged with its Norman cognate. It was rare in the Middle Ages, and eventually died out. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Osborn m EnglishDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
beorn "warrior, man". During the Anglo-Saxon period there was also a Norse cognate
Ásbjǫrn used in England, and after the Norman Conquest the Norman cognate
Osbern was introduced. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.
Oscar m English, Irish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, French, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"deer friend", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer" and
carae "friend". Alternatively, it may derive from the Old English name
Osgar or its Old Norse cognate
Ásgeirr, which may have been brought to Ireland by Viking invaders and settlers. In Irish legend Oscar was the son of the poet
Oisín and the grandson of the hero
Fionn mac Cumhaill.
... [more] Osiris m Egyptian Mythology (Hellenized)Greek form of the Egyptian
wsjr (reconstructed as
Asar,
Usir and other forms), which is of unknown meaning, possibly related to
wsr "mighty" or
jrt "eye". In Egyptian mythology Osiris was the god of fertility, agriculture, and the dead and served as the judge of the underworld. In one tale he was slain by his brother
Seth, but restored to life by his wife
Isis in order to conceive their son
Horus, who would go on to avenge his father.
Oskar m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Slovene, BasqueForm of
Oscar in several languages. A famous bearer was Oskar Schindler (1908-1974), who is credited for saved over 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II.
Osman m Turkish, Kurdish, Albanian, Bosnian, MalayTurkish, Kurdish, Albanian, Bosnian and Malay form of
Uthman. This was the name of the founder of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century. It was later borne by two more Ottoman sultans.
Osmond m English (Rare)From the Old English elements
os "god" and
mund "protection". During the Anglo-Saxon period a Norse cognate
Ásmundr was also used in England, and another version was imported by the Normans. Saint Osmund was an 11th-century Norman nobleman who became an English bishop. Though it eventually became rare, it was revived in the 19th century, in part from a surname that was derived from the given name.
Ossian m LiteratureVariant of
Oisín used by James Macpherson in his 18th-century poems, which he claimed to have based on early Irish legends. In the poems Ossian is the son of
Fingal, and serves as the narrator.
Oswald m English, GermanDerived from the Old English elements
os "god" and
weald "powerful, mighty". Saint Oswald was a king of Northumbria who introduced Christianity to northeastern England in the 7th century before being killed in battle. There was also an Old Norse cognate
Ásvaldr in use in England, being borne by the 10th-century Saint Oswald of Worcester, who was of Danish ancestry. Though the name had died out by the end of the Middle Ages, it was revived in the 19th century.
Oswin m English (Rare)From the Old English elements
os "god" and
wine "friend". Saint Oswin was a 7th-century king of Northumbria. After the Norman Conquest this name was used less, and it died out after the 14th century. It was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Otar m GeorgianDerived from Turkic
otar meaning
"pasture, meadow".
Otello m ItalianItalian form of
Othello. This was the name of an 1887 opera by Giuseppe Verdi, based on Shakespeare's play.
Othello m LiteraturePerhaps a diminutive of
Otho. William Shakespeare used this name in his tragedy
Othello (1603), where it belongs to a Moor who is manipulated by
Iago into killing his wife
Desdemona.
Othniel m BiblicalMeaning uncertain, possibly
"lion of God" or
"strength of God" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a nephew or brother of
Caleb who becomes the first of the ruling judges of the Israelites.
Otho m Ancient RomanRoman cognomen of unknown meaning. This was the name of a short-lived 1st-century Roman emperor (born as Marcus Salvius Otho).
Otis m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name
Ode, a cognate of
Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).
Otmar m German, Czech, GermanicFrom the Germanic name
Audamar, which was derived from Old Frankish
aud or Old High German
ot meaning "wealth, fortune" combined with
mari meaning "famous". This was the name of an 8th-century Swiss saint, an abbot of Saint Gall.
Ott m EstonianPossibly an Estonian form of
Otto. It may also be inspired by an archaic Estonian word meaning
"bear".
Otto m German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, GermanicLater German form of
Audo, originally a short form of various names beginning with Old Frankish
aud or Old High German
ot meaning
"wealth, fortune". This was the name of a 9th-century king of the West Franks (name usually spelled as
Odo). This was also the name of four kings of Germany, starting in the 10th century with Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor, known as Otto the Great. Saint Otto of Bamberg was a 12th-century missionary to Pomerania. The name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece, originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898).
Ove m Swedish, Norwegian, DanishProbably a modern form of the Old Danish name
Aghi, originally a short form of names that contain the Old Norse element
egg "edge of a sword" or
agi "awe, fear".
Ovid m HistoryFrom the Roman family name
Ovidius, which was possibly derived from Latin
ovis "a sheep". Alternatively, it could have a Sabellic origin. Publius Ovidius Naso, better known as Ovid, was a 1st-century BC Roman poet who is best known as the author of the
Metamorphoses. He was sent into exile on the coast of the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus for no apparent reason.
Ovidiu m RomanianRomanian form of
Ovidius (see
Ovid). In the 1st century the Roman poet Ovid was exiled to the city of Tomis, now Constanța in Romania.
Owain m Welsh, Arthurian CycleFrom an Old Welsh name (
Ougein,
Eugein and other spellings), which was possibly from the Latin name
Eugenius. Other theories connect it to the Celtic roots *
owi- "sheep", *
wesu- "good" or *
awi- "desire" combined with the Old Welsh suffix
gen "born of". This is the name of several figures from British history, including Owain mab Urien, a 6th-century prince of Rheged who fought against the Angles. The 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes adapted him into
Yvain for his Arthurian romance
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion. Regarded as one of the Knights of the Round Table, Yvain or Owain has since appeared in many other Arthurian tales, typically being the son of King
Urien of Gore, and the errant husband of
Laudine, the Lady of the Fountain.
... [more] Öwez m TurkmenMeans
"compensation" in Turkmen (of Arabic origin).
Oxalá m Afro-American MythologyPortuguese form of
Oriṣanla, used in Brazil by adherents of Candomblé to refer to
Ọbatala. It also coincides with the Portuguese word
oxalá meaning "God willing, hopefully", which originates from the Arabic phrase
و شاء الله (wa shāʾa Allah).
Øyvind m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Eyvindr, which was derived from
ey meaning "island" or "good fortune" and
vindr possibly meaning "victor".
Pablo m SpanishSpanish form of
Paulus (see
Paul). Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) were famous bearers of this name.
Pace m English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from the Middle English word
pace meaning
"peace".
Pacey m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that was derived from the French place name
Pacy, itself derived from Gaulish given name of unknown meaning.
Pachakutiq m QuechuaMeans
"changer of the world" in Quechua, derived from
pacha "world, time" and
kutiy "to return, to change" combined with the agentive suffix
-q "doer". This name was borne by a 15th-century (precontact) ruler of the Inca Empire.
Paden m English (Rare)From a surname, itself probably a derivative of the given name
Pate, a short form of
Patrick. It was an obscure given name in America until 1985, when it appeared in the western movie
Silverado. Its modest usage after that can probably be attributed to the fact that it ends in the popular
den sound found in more-popular names such as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan.
Pallas 2 m Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
πάλλω (pallo) meaning
"to brandish". In Greek mythology this was the name of a Titan and several other characters. It was also the name of a female character, though her name is probably from a different source (see
Pallas 1).
Palmer m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"pilgrim". It is ultimately from Latin
palma "palm tree", since pilgrims to the Holy Land often brought back palm fronds as proof of their journey.
Palmiro m ItalianMeans
"pilgrim" in Italian. In medieval times it denoted one who had been a pilgrim to Palestine. It is ultimately from the word
palma meaning "palm tree", because of the custom of pilgrims to bring palm fronds home with them. The name is sometimes given to a child born on Palm Sunday.
Paltiel m Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans
"God is my deliverance" in Hebrew, derived from
פָּלַט (palaṭ) meaning "to deliver, to rescue, to escape" combined with
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of two Israelites in the Old Testament.
Pamphilos m Ancient GreekMeans
"friend of all" from Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
φίλος (philos) meaning "friend". This was the name of a 4th-century saint from Caesarea in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina.
Pan m Greek MythologyPossibly from the Indo-European root *
peh- meaning
"shepherd, protect". In Greek mythology Pan was a half-man, half-goat god associated with shepherds, flocks and pastures.
Pancho m SpanishSpanish diminutive of
Francisco. This name was borne by Pancho Villa (1878-1923), a Mexican bandit and revolutionary.
Pancras m English (Archaic)Medieval English form of
Pancratius. The relics of the 4th-century saint Pancratius were sent to England by Pope Gregory the Great, leading to the saint's veneration there.
Pancratius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Παγκράτιος (Pankratios), derived from the Greek word
παγκρατής (pankrates) meaning
"all-powerful", from the roots
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
κράτος (kratos) meaning "power". Early Byzantine Christians used this as a title of Christ. It was borne by two saints, a 1st-century Sicilian martyr and a semi-legendary 4th-century Roman martyr.
Pandu m HinduismMeans
"pale, whitish, yellowish" in Sanskrit. In the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata this is the name of the husband of
Kunti and the foster-father of the five Pandavas.
Panfilo m ItalianItalian form of
Pamphilos. The Italian author Boccaccio used this name in his work
The Decameron (1350).
Pangu m Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
盘 (pán) meaning "tray, pan" and
古 (gǔ) meaning "old, ancient". In Chinese mythology this is the name of the first living being.
Pankaja m HinduismMeans
"born of mud", referring to the lotus flower, derived from Sanskrit
पङ्क (paṅka) meaning "mud" and
ज (ja) meaning "born". This is another name of the Hindu god
Brahma.
Pantaleon m Ancient GreekDerived from the Greek elements
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" (genitive
παντός) and
λέων (leon) meaning "lion". This was the name of a 2nd-century BC king of Bactria. It was also borne by Saint Pantaleon (also called
Panteleimon), a doctor from Asia Minor who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. He is a patron saint of doctors and midwives.
Pantheras m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
πάνθηρ (panther) meaning
"panther", a word ultimately of Sanskrit origin, though folk etymology connects it to Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
θηράω (therao) meaning "to hunt". According to some legends a Roman soldier named Panthera was the father of
Jesus.
Panu m FinnishFinnish short form of
Urbanus (see
Urban). This is also an archaic Finnish word meaning
"flame, fire". This name was used by the Finnish author Juhani Aho for the main character in his novel
Panu (1897).
Paolo m ItalianItalian form of
Paulus (see
Paul). Paolo Uccello and Paolo Veronese were both Italian Renaissance painters.
Paphnutius m Ancient Egyptian (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Παφνούτιος (Paphnoutios), derived from Egyptian
pꜣj-pꜣ-nṯr meaning
"the one of God". This was the name of several saints, including the 4th-century bishop Paphnutius of Thebes.
Parashara m HinduismMeans
"destroyer" in Sanskrit, from
पराशॄ (parāśṝ) meaning "to destroy, to kill". In Hindu belief this is the name of a sage who is credited with the authorship of a few hymns in the
Rigveda, as well as other works. According to the
Mahabharata he was the father of
Vyasa by the fisherwoman
Satyavati.
Paris 1 m Greek MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly of Luwian or Hittite origin. In Greek mythology he was the Trojan prince who kidnapped
Helen and began the Trojan War. Though presented as a somewhat of a coward in the
Iliad, he did manage to slay the great hero
Achilles. He was himself eventually slain in battle by Philoctetes.
Parker m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Parris m & f English (Rare)From an English surname that originally denoted a person who came from the French city of Paris (see
Paris 2).