94 Baby Names That Start With O (Meanings & Origins)

Looking for baby names that start with O? This handpicked list of 94 names covers boys, girls, and gender-neutral picks—each with real meanings and origins, not just a repeated name across ten different lists.

• If you’re looking for a list of boy names, here is a great list for you.
• Need baby girl name inspo? Here is a great list as well.
• If you need girl and boy names – here is a list of more than 1400 baby names for both!

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Why Choose a Baby Name That Starts With O?

Names that begin with the letter O often have a whimsical, lyrical quality. Many are rooted in mythology, nature, and tradition—making them both meaningful and timeless. Plus, “O” names are rare enough to stand out, but familiar enough to feel accessible.

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Boy Baby Names That Start With O

• Oliver – Latin, meaning “olive tree,” a symbol of peace, Oliver has been a top-5 U.S. boy name for years. Find it in this bestselling personalized name book.
• Oscar – Irish, meaning “friend of deer” (from “os” and “cara”), Oscar carries real Gaelic mythological roots as the grandson of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill.
• Odin – Norse mythology’s chief god, associated with wisdom, war, and poetry, Odin carries serious mythological weight for parents drawn to Norse heritage.
• Otis – Germanic, meaning “wealthy,” Otis had its heyday in the 1920s and carries soulful associations through singer Otis Redding.
• Omar – Arabic, meaning “flourishing” or “long-lived,” Omar carries real historical weight through Umar, the second caliph of Islam.
• Orion – Greek mythology’s giant hunter, immortalized as one of the most recognizable constellations, Orion has grown quickly as part of the celestial-name trend.
• Ozzy – A nickname most often tied to Oswald or Osmond, meaning “divine power,” Ozzy carries a rocker edge through Ozzy Osbourne.
• Onyx – Named directly for the black banded gemstone, itself from the Greek word for “claw” or “fingernail,” Onyx carries a bold, striking sound.
• Oakley – English, meaning “oak meadow,” Oakley started as a surname before crossing into first-name use for either gender. Pair it with forest-inspired names for a nature-themed combo.
• Otto – Germanic, meaning “wealth” or “fortune,” Otto carries real imperial history through several Holy Roman Emperors of that name.

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Girl Baby Names That Start With O

• Olivia – Latin, meaning “olive tree,” Olivia has been the single most popular U.S. girl name for several years running. Olivia-themed nursery décor ideas on Amazon.
• Ophelia – Greek, meaning “help,” Ophelia carries enormous literary weight as the tragic heroine of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
• Odette – French, meaning “wealthy,” Odette is the swan princess in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, giving it real balletic elegance.
• Oriana – Latin, meaning “dawn” or “golden,” Oriana carries a warm, luminous sound with real literary use across several European epic poems.
• Ottilie – German, meaning “prosperous in battle,” Ottilie carries real religious history through Saint Odile of Alsace.
• Octavia – Latin, meaning “eighth,” Octavia was the name of Emperor Augustus’s sister, a respected figure in Roman history.
• Ocean – A direct English word name referring to the vast body of water, Ocean carries sweeping, tranquil imagery and works for either gender. Want more water-inspired names?
• Odessa – Named for the Ukrainian port city on the Black Sea, itself derived from the ancient Greek colony Odessos, Odessa carries real geographic and historical weight.
• Ora – Latin, meaning “prayer,” Ora was a turn-of-the-century American favorite that’s since become genuinely vintage.
• Olenna – A modern name gaining visibility through the sharp-tongued Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, with no independent historical root of its own.

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Gender-Neutral Baby Names That Start With O

• Omari – Swahili, meaning “God is the highest,” Omari works for either gender within East African naming traditions.
• Ode – French/Greek, meaning “poem” or “song,” Ode carries a literary, lyrical quality and works for either gender.
• Oriel – Latin, meaning “golden,” Oriel also refers to a type of projecting bay window in Gothic architecture, giving it an unusual double meaning.
• Orin – Irish, meaning “pale” or “fair,” Orin also functions as a Hebrew name meaning “light,” making it genuinely cross-cultural.
• Olive – Named directly for the tree and its fruit, long a symbol of peace, Olive works for either gender as a shorter, punchier alternative to Olivia. Check out this cute Olive plush baby toy.
• Osa – A Scandinavian-flavored name sometimes glossed as “God is salvation,” Osa has a short, clean sound and works for either gender.

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Rare & Unique Baby Names That Start With O

• Olivette – French, meaning “little olive tree,” Olivette carries the same peaceful root as Olivia with a rarer, more delicate sound.
• Orlaith – Irish, meaning “golden princess,” Orlaith carries real Gaelic royal history and remains common in Ireland while staying rare elsewhere.
• Osias – Greek, meaning “salvation of God,” Osias is a variant of Hosea/Uzziah with genuine biblical roots.
• Oxley – Old English, meaning “ox clearing,” Oxley started as a surname and place name before rare first-name use.
• Ozara – Hebrew, meaning “treasure,” Ozara carries genuine biblical-adjacent meaning and remains rare even within Hebrew naming traditions.
• Orenda – Iroquois, referring to a spiritual force believed to be present in all people and natural phenomena, Orenda carries deep Indigenous cultural meaning.
• Ovidia – The feminine form of Ovid, the Roman poet whose name may derive from “ovis” (sheep), Ovidia carries genuine classical literary weight.
• Oceane – French for “ocean,” Oceane carries the same sweeping water imagery as Ocean with a distinctly French sound, and is genuinely popular in France.
• Odion – A Nigerian Edo name meaning “first of twins,” Odion carries real cultural significance tied to twin births specifically.
• Ophira – Hebrew, meaning “gold,” Ophira is the feminine form of Ophir, a biblical region famed for its gold.

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Bridgerton-Inspired Baby Names Starting With O

Looking for Regency-era charm? Check out Bridgerton baby names for more vintage inspiration. Ophelia and Odessa above both fit the aesthetic beautifully, alongside these two:

• Octavius – The Latin masculine form of Octavia, meaning “eighth,” Octavius carries the same Roman imperial history with a regal, formal sound.
• Orlando – Italian, the romance-language form of Roland, meaning “famous throughout the land,” Orlando carries Shakespearean flair through As You Like It.

Nature-Inspired Baby Names That Start With O

• Orchid – Named for the exotic flowering plant prized for its intricate blooms, Orchid carries elegant, tropical botanical imagery.
• Osier – Referring to a type of flexible willow used in basket-weaving, Osier carries a quiet, craft-rooted nature meaning.
• Oleander – Named for the flowering shrub, striking but famously toxic, Oleander carries a beautiful-but-dangerous double meaning worth knowing before choosing it.
• Olivine – A green mineral found in volcanic rock and even meteorites, Olivine carries an earthy, geological meaning distinct from typical gemstone names.
• Orinoco – Named for one of South America’s longest rivers, Orinoco carries a sweeping, adventurous geographic scale.
• Oakes – English, meaning “from the oak,” Oakes carries the same grounded tree symbolism as Oakley with a shorter, surname-style sound.
• Orla – Irish, meaning “golden princess,” Orla is the shortened, more common form of Orlaith in everyday Irish use.
• Ona – Lithuanian, meaning “grace,” Ona is also linked to water symbolism in some Baltic folk traditions.

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Literary & Mythological Baby Names That Start With O

• Odysseus – The cunning Greek hero of Homer’s Odyssey, whose ten-year journey home after the Trojan War is one of literature’s foundational adventure stories.
• Oberon – The king of the fairies in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oberon also lends his name to one of Uranus’s moons.
• Oedipus – The tragic king of Greek drama who unknowingly fulfilled a terrible prophecy, Oedipus carries heavy literary weight best understood before use.
• Oisin – Irish mythology’s warrior-poet, son of Fionn mac Cumhaill, who famously traveled to the Land of Youth.
• Orestes – The son of Agamemnon in Greek myth, whose story of vengeance and eventual redemption forms the basis of Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy.
• Omri – A biblical king of Israel mentioned in 1 Kings, known for founding the city of Samaria.
• Othello – The title character of Shakespeare’s tragedy, a Moorish general whose story explores jealousy and betrayal.
• Orpheus – The legendary musician of Greek mythology whose songs could charm even the god of the underworld, Orpheus carries deep artistic symbolism.
• Orual – The narrator and protagonist of C.S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces, a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth.
• Olwen – Welsh mythology, meaning “white footprint,” Olwen is a giant’s daughter whose story appears in the medieval Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen.
• Oona – An Irish variant of Una, meaning “one” or “unity,” Oona has been used by several literary and artistic families, including Charlie Chaplin’s wife.
• Obadiah – Hebrew, meaning “servant of God,” Obadiah is a minor prophet whose short Old Testament book is the shortest in the Hebrew Bible.

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Vintage Baby Names That Start With O

• Orville – English, meaning “golden town,” Orville carries genuine American aviation history through Orville Wright.
• Oswald – Old English, meaning “divine power,” Oswald carries real Anglo-Saxon royal history through a 7th-century king of Northumbria later canonized as a saint.
• Odelia – Hebrew/Germanic, meaning “I will praise God” or “wealthy,” Odelia carries a retro, old-world charm.
• Orpha – Hebrew, related to Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law in the Book of Ruth, Orpha is a rare old-fashioned biblical name.
• Opal – Named for the iridescent gemstone, Opal carries genuine 1920s gemstone-name charm and is the birthstone for October.
• Orelia – A Latin-rooted name meaning “golden,” Orelia carries a rare, vintage romance-language sound.
• Obediah – A variant spelling of Obadiah, meaning “servant of God,” Obediah carries the same biblical roots with an old-fashioned American spelling.
• Orson – French/Latin, meaning “bear cub,” Orson carries real literary and film history through director and actor Orson Welles.
• Omie – A turn-of-the-century American nickname, likely short for Naomi or Homer, Omie has a soft, homespun vintage charm.

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Celestial Baby Names That Start With O

• Osiris – The Egyptian god of the afterlife, the underworld, and rebirth, Osiris carries serious ancient mythological weight.
• Omega – The final letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing an ending or ultimate point, Omega carries bold, cosmic-scale meaning.
• Orbit – A direct word name referring to the path a celestial body follows around another, Orbit carries a bold, space-age feel.
• Orphic – Relating to Orpheus and the mystical Orphic religious tradition of ancient Greece, Orphic carries an unusual, mystical sound as a name.
• Ozma – The princess who rules the magical land of Oz in L. Frank Baum’s novels, Ozma carries a whimsical, otherworldly sound.
• Orrin – A variant of Orin, sometimes tied to the Hebrew “light,” Orrin carries a bright, gentle sound similar to Orion.
• Olympia – Named for Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, Olympia carries grand, mythic weight and real history as a Washington state capital.
• Orel – Hebrew, meaning “light of God,” Orel carries genuine spiritual meaning within Israeli naming conventions.
• Oriole – Named for the brightly colored songbird, Oriole carries light, musical imagery distinct from more common bird names.
• Opaline – An elaboration of Opal, referring to the gemstone’s shimmering, iridescent quality, Opaline carries a soft, glowing sound.

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Cultural Baby Names That Start With O (Global Origins)

• Oksana (Ukrainian) – Meaning “praise be to God,” Oksana is a common given name across Ukraine and broader Eastern Europe.
• Oluwafemi (Nigerian, Yoruba) – Meaning “God loves me,” Oluwafemi carries direct, warm religious meaning.
• Osman (Turkish/Arabic) – Meaning “pure” or “bone-breaker,” Osman carries enormous historical weight as the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
• Osei (Ghanaian, Akan) – Meaning “noble,” Osei carries real royal history through several Ashanti kings.
• Obasi (Nigerian, Igbo) – Meaning “in honor of God” or “the king,” Obasi carries deep religious and cultural weight.
• Onika (African/Caribbean) – Sometimes glossed as “warrior spirit,” Onika has grown in visibility partly through rapper Nicki Minaj’s given name.
• Osvaldo (Spanish/Italian) – The romance-language form of Oswald, meaning “divine power.”
• Oumou (West African) – A common given name across Francophone West Africa, related to Umm/Oum meaning “mother.”
• Oriol (Catalan) – Meaning “golden,” Oriol carries real Catalan cultural identity and religious history through Saint Oriol.
• Ola (Scandinavian/Nigerian) – A Scandinavian short form of Olaf, or a common Yoruba name element meaning “wealth” — genuinely dual-origin depending on background.
• Oliviero (Italian) – The Italian variant of Oliver, carrying the same peaceful “olive tree” root.
• Oleg (Russian) – Meaning “holy,” Oleg carries real Slavic history through Oleg of Novgorod, an early ruler of Kievan Rus’.

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Artistic & Musical O Names

• Orly – Hebrew, meaning “light for me,” Orly is short, artsy, and works well within Israeli naming conventions.
• Odetta – An elaboration of Odette, carried by folk and blues singer Odetta Holmes, a key voice of the American civil rights movement.
• Ophelie – The French spelling of Ophelia, carrying the same Shakespearean literary weight with a romance-language sound.
• Octavien – The French form of Octavius, carrying the same Roman imperial root with an elegant French sound.
• Otello – The Italian operatic form of Othello, referring specifically to Verdi’s celebrated 19th-century opera adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

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Best Baby Name Books on Amazon

Looking to explore more than just the names? These books are loaded with inspiration.

• The Baby Name Wizard
• 100,000+ Baby Names: The Most Helpful, Complete, & Up-to-Date Name Book
• Baby Names

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Final Thoughts on Baby Names That Start With O

Choosing the perfect baby name is such a special moment—and this list of baby names that start with O gives you a wide range of beautiful, meaningful options to consider. Whether you’re going with something trendy like Olivia or unique like Orenda, the right name will just feel right.

FAQ: Baby Names That Start With O