Oisín m Irish, Irish MythologyMeans
"little deer", derived from Old Irish
oss "deer, stag" combined with a diminutive suffix. In Irish legend Oisín was a warrior hero and a poet, the son of
Fionn mac Cumhaill and the narrator in many of his tales.
Okeanos m Greek MythologyFrom the name of the river or body of water thought by the ancient Greeks to surround the Earth. In Greek mythology Okeanos was the Titan who personified this body of water.
Olaf m Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, PolishFrom the Old Norse name
Áleifr meaning
"ancestor's descendant", derived from the elements
anu "ancestor" and
leif "inheritance, legacy". This was the name of five kings of Norway, including Saint Olaf (Olaf II).
Olaug f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ólaug, derived from the elements
anu "ancestor" and
laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".
Oleg m Russian, GeorgianRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helgi (see
Helge). The Varangians brought this name from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe: it was borne by a 9th-century Varangian ruler who conquered Kyiv and made it the capital of the state of Kievan Rus.
Olegario m SpanishFrom
Olegarius, the Latinized form of a Germanic name, possibly
Aldegar or a metathesized form of
Odalgar. This was the name of a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Barcelona.
Olive f English, FrenchFrom the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin
oliva.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian CycleFrom Old French
Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin
oliva "olive tree". Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse
Áleifr (see
Olaf) or Frankish
Alawar (see
Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic
La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero
Roland.
... [more] Olivette f LiteratureFeminine form of
Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera
Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchThis name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy
Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on
Oliva or
Oliver, or directly on the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke
Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] Olve m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ǫlvir, possibly derived from
allr "all" or
alh "temple, shelter" combined with
vir "holy man" or "warrior".
Olwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian CycleMeans
"white footprint" from Welsh
ol "footprint, track" and
gwen "white, blessed". In the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen she was a beautiful maiden, the lover of
Culhwch and the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. Her father insisted that Culhwch complete several seemingly impossible tasks before he would allow them to marry.
Olympias f Ancient GreekFeminine form of
Olympos. This was the name of the mother of Alexander the Great. It was also borne by a 4th-century saint.
Olympos m Ancient GreekFrom a Greek personal name that was derived from the place name
Olympos, the name of the mountain home of the Greek gods.
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.
Ombeline f FrenchFeminine form of
Humbelin, a medieval diminutive of
Humbert. The Blessed Humbeline (known as Hombeline or Ombeline in French) was a 12th-century nun, the sister of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux.
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.
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.
Opal f EnglishFrom the English word
opal for the iridescent gemstone, the birthstone of October. The word ultimately derives from Sanskrit
उपल (upala) meaning "jewel".
Ophelia f English, Literature, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ὠφέλεια (opheleia) meaning
"help, advantage". This was a rare ancient Greek name, which was either rediscovered or recreated by the poet Jacopo Sannazaro for a character in his poem
Arcadia (1480). It was borrowed by Shakespeare for his play
Hamlet (1600), in which it belongs to the daughter of
Polonius and the potential love interest of
Hamlet. She eventually goes insane and drowns herself after Hamlet kills her father. In spite of this negative association, the name has been in use since the 19th century.
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).
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.
Oprah f Various (Rare)In the case of television personality Oprah Winfrey (1954-), it was a childhood mispronunciation of her real name
Orpah that became permanent.
Orabela f EsperantoMeans
"golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
aurea "gold" and
bella "beautiful".
Oraz m Turkmen, KazakhMeans
"fasting, Ramadan" in Turkmen and Kazakh (of Persian origin).
Oriana f Italian, SpanishPossibly derived from Latin
aurum "gold" or from its derivatives, Spanish
oro or French
or. In medieval legend Oriana was the daughter of a king of England who married the knight
Amadis.
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.
Órlaith f Irish, Old IrishMeans
"golden ruler", from Old Irish
ór "gold" combined with
flaith "ruler, sovereign, princess". This name was borne by several medieval Irish royals, including a sister of the king
Brian Boru.
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.
Orpah f BiblicalMeans
"back of the neck" in Hebrew. Orpah is
Naomi's second daughter-in-law in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.
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.
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.
Osanna f ItalianItalian form of
Hosanna. This was the name of a 15th-century Italian saint and mystic, as well as a 16th-century Montenegrin saint.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Ouida f HistoryUsed by the English author Ouida (1839-1908), born Marie Louise Ramé to a French father. Ouida was a pseudonym that arose from her own childhood pronunciation of her middle name
Louise.
Ourania f Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
οὐράνιος (ouranios) meaning
"heavenly". In Greek mythology she was the goddess of astronomy and astrology, one of the nine Muses.
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] Øyvind m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Eyvindr, which was derived from
ey meaning "island" or "good fortune" and
vindr possibly meaning "victor".