Nuan f ChineseFrom Chinese
暖 (nuǎn) meaning "warm, genial" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Nubia f Spanish (Latin American)From the name of the ancient region and kingdom in Africa, south of Egypt. It possibly derives from the Egyptian word
nbw meaning "gold".
Nurasyl m Kazakh (Rare)From Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble" (both words ultimately of Arabic origin).
Nurcan f TurkishMeans
"bright soul" in Turkish, ultimately from Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light" and Persian
jān meaning "soul, life".
Nurdaulet m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
дәулет (daulet) meaning "country, government" (both words ultimately of Arabic origin).
Núria f Catalan, PortugueseFrom a Catalan title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nostra Senyora de Núria, meaning "Our Lady of Nuria". Nuria is a sanctuary in Spain in which there is a shrine containing a famous statue of Mary.
Nurislam m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) combined with
Islam, the name of the religion (ultimately from Arabic
إسلام).
Nursultan m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" and
сұлтан (sultan) meaning "sultan, king" (both words of Arabic origin).
Nurzhan m KazakhFrom Kazakh
нұр (nur) meaning "light" (of Arabic origin) and
жан (zhan) meaning "soul" (of Persian origin).
Nüwa f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
女 (nǚ) meaning "woman, female" and
娲 (wā), a character of uncertain origin that refers to the goddess herself. This is the name of the creator goddess in Chinese mythology, depicted as a snake with a human head. She molded humans from earth or clay with her brother
Fuxi.
Nyah f English (Modern)Meaning unknown, possibly a variant of
Nia 2 or
Nia 3. This name briefly entered the American popularity charts after it was featured in the movie
Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
Nyala f Various (Rare)From the name of a type of African antelope, ultimately derived from the Bantu word
nyálà.
Nyambura f KikuyuFrom Kikuyu
mbura meaning
"rain". This is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
Nyarai f ShonaFrom Shona
nyara meaning
"be shy, be quiet, be humble".
Nydia f English (Rare), Spanish, LiteratureUsed by British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton for a blind flower-seller in his novel
The Last Days of Pompeii (1834). He perhaps based it on Latin
nidus "nest".
Nyla f EnglishProbably a feminine form of
Niles. It gained popularity in the early 2000s, influenced by similar-sounding names such as
Kyla.
Nympha f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, BiblicalVariant of
Nymphe (as well as the usual Latinized form). This name is mentioned briefly by
Paul in his epistle to the Colossians in the New Testament, though it is uncertain whether it refers to a woman
Nympha or a man
Nymphas. The name was later borne by an obscure 4th-century saint possibly from Palermo, Sicily.
Nynniaw m Old WelshProbably a Welsh form of *
Ninniau (see
Ninian). This form is used for
Nennius in
Brut y Brenhinedd, the Middle Welsh translation of the 12th-century Latin chronicles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. The name also appears in the Welsh tale
Culhwch and Olwen belonging to a man who is transformed into an ox.
Nyoman m & f BalinesePossibly from a Balinese word meaning
"end, remainder". This name is traditionally bestowed upon the third-born child.
Nyssa f Various (Rare)From the name of an ancient town of Asia Minor where Saint Gregory was bishop in the 4th century. Nyssa is also the genus name of a type of tree, also called the Tupelo.
Oakley m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was from various place names meaning
"oak clearing" in Old English. A famous bearer of the surname was the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860-1926).
Oanez f BretonDerived from Breton
oan "lamb" (ultimately from Latin
agnus) and used as a Breton form of
Agnes.
Obadiah m BiblicalMeans
"servant of Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from
עָבַד (ʿavaḏ) meaning "to serve, to worship" and
יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the twelve minor prophets, the author of the Book of Obadiah, which predicts the downfall of the nation of Edom. This is also the name of several other biblical characters.
Ọbatala m Yoruba MythologyMeans
"king of white cloth" in Yoruba, derived from
ọba "king" and
àlà "white cloth". According to traditional Yoruba religion he is the creator of the earth and human beings. He also founded the first Yoruba city, Ife.
Obdulia f SpanishMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint from Toledo, Spain. The details of her life are unknown.
Obinna m IgboMeans
"heart of the father" in Igbo, from
óbì "heart, mind" and
ńnà "father".
Obrad m SerbianPossibly derived from Serbian
obradovati meaning
"to make happy".
Ocean f & m English (Modern)Simply from the English word
ocean for a large body of water. It is ultimately derived from Greek
Ὠκεανός (Okeanos), the name of the body of water thought to surround the Earth.
Octavian m History, RomanianFrom the Roman name
Octavianus, which was derived from the name
Octavius. After Gaius Octavius (later the Roman emperor
Augustus) was adopted by Julius Caesar he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus.
Octavius m Ancient RomanRoman family name derived from Latin
octavus meaning
"eighth". This was the original family name of the emperor Augustus (born Gaius Octavius). It was also rarely used as a Roman praenomen, or given name.
Oda f German, Norwegian, GermanicFeminine form of
Otto. This was the name of a semi-legendary 8th-century saint who lived as a hermit in Brabant in the Netherlands.
Odalis f & m Spanish (Latin American)Possibly an elaboration of
Odilia used in Latin America. In most countries it is a feminine name, but in the Dominican Republic it is commonly masculine.
Oddvar m NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Oddvarr, derived from the elements
oddr "point of a sword" and
varr "aware, cautious".
Odessa f VariousFrom the name of a Ukrainian city that sits on the north coast of the Black Sea, which was named after the ancient Greek city of
Ὀδησσός (Odessos), of uncertain meaning. This name can also be used as a feminine form of
Odysseus.
Odharnait f Irish (Rare)Derived from
odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of an early Irish saint.
Odhrán m IrishFrom Old Irish
Odrán, derived from
odar "dun-coloured, greyish brown, tan" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a saint who travelled with Saint Columba through Scotland.
Odilia f Germanic (Latinized)Derived from the Old German element
uodil meaning
"heritage" or
ot meaning
"wealth, fortune". Saint Odilia (or Odila) was an 8th-century nun who is considered the patron saint of Alsace. She was apparently born blind but gained sight when she was baptized.
Odoacer m Gothic (Latinized)From the Gothic name *
Audawakrs meaning
"wealthy and vigilant", derived from the elements
auds "wealth" and
wakrs "vigilant". Odoacer, sometimes called Odovacar, was a 5th-century Gothic leader who overthrew the last Western Roman emperor and became the first barbarian king of Italy.
Oğuzhan m TurkishFrom
Oğuz, the name of an ancient Turkic people, combined with Turkish
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Ohiyesa m SiouxMeans
"winner" in Dakota or Lakota, from
ohíya "winning" and the suffix
s'a "commonly, frequently".
Okafor m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo,
Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
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.
Oktyabrina f Russian (Rare)Derived from Russian
октябрь (oktyabr) meaning
"October". This name was created by communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names and commemorate the October Revolution of 1917.
Ola 3 m & f YorubaFrom Yoruba
ọlà meaning
"wealth" or the related
ọlá meaning
"honour, respect". It is also a short form of names containing those elements.
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".
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.
Olga f Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Serbian, Bulgarian, GreekRussian form of the Old Norse name
Helga. The 10th-century Saint Olga was the wife of
Igor I, the ruler of Kievan Rus (a state based around the city of Kyiv). Like her husband she was probably a Varangian, who were Norse people who settled in Eastern Europe beginning in the 9th century. Following Igor's death she ruled as regent for her son
Svyatoslav for 18 years. After she was baptized in Constantinople she attempted to convert her subjects to Christianity, though this goal was only achieved by her grandson
Vladimir.
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] 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.
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.
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).
Oneida f EnglishFrom the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".
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.
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.
Ora 1 f & m EnglishPerhaps based on Latin
oro "to pray". It was first used in America in the 19th century.
Orabela f EsperantoMeans
"golden-beautiful" in Esperanto, ultimately from Latin
aurea "gold" and
bella "beautiful".
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.
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.
Orinda f English (Rare)Probably an elaboration of Spanish
oro "gold". This was the pseudonym of the English poet Katherine Philips (1631-1664).
Orinthia f LiteraturePossibly related to Greek
ὀρίνω (orino) meaning
"to excite, to agitate". George Bernard Shaw used this name in his play
The Apple Cart (1929).
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.
Ornella f ItalianCreated by the Italian author Gabriele d'Annunzio for his novel
La Figlia di Jorio (1904). It is derived from Tuscan Italian
ornello meaning "flowering ash tree".
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.
Osamu m JapaneseFrom Japanese
修 (osamu) meaning "discipline, study", as well as other kanji that have the same pronunciation.
Osane f BasqueMeans
"cure, remedy" in Basque. It is an equivalent of
Remedios, proposed by Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
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.
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] 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.
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.
Otar m GeorgianDerived from Turkic
otar meaning
"pasture, meadow".