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.
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.
Nyx f Greek MythologyMeans
"night" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the night, the daughter of Khaos and the wife of Erebos.
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.
Obdulia f SpanishMeaning unknown. This was the name of a saint from Toledo, Spain. The details of her life are unknown.
Obi m & f IgboMeans
"heart" in Igbo.
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.
October f English (Rare)From the name of the tenth month. It is derived from Latin
octo meaning "eight", because it was originally the eighth month of the Roman year.
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.
Oddrún f Old Norse, Norse MythologyFrom Old Norse
oddr "point of a sword" and
rún "secret lore, rune". This is the name of a woman in the Old Norse poem
Oddrúnargrátr in the
Poetic Edda.
Oddveig f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse elements
oddr "point of a sword" and
veig "strength". This name was coined in the 19th century.
Odell m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally from a place name, itself derived from Old English
wad "woad" (a plant that produces a blue dye) and
hyll "hill".
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.
Odette f FrenchFrench diminutive of
Oda or
Odilia. This is the name of a princess who has been transformed into a swan in the ballet
Swan Lake (1877) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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.
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.
Oenone f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek
Οἰνώνη (Oinone), derived from
οἶνος (oinos) meaning
"wine". In Greek mythology Oenone was a mountain nymph who was married to Paris before he went after Helen.
Ofra m & f HebrewModern Hebrew form of
Ophrah. Originally it was a masculine name, but it is now used for females too.
Õie f EstonianDerived from Estonian
õis meaning
"flower".
Oighrig f Scottish GaelicFrom the older Gaelic name
Aithbhreac, derived from the intensive prefix
ath- and
breac "speckled". It has been Anglicized as
Effie,
Euphemia and
Affrica.
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.
Okuhle f & m Zulu, XhosaMeans
"that which is beautiful, that which is good" in Zulu and Xhosa.
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.
Olaug f NorwegianFrom the Old Norse name
Ólaug, derived from the elements
anu "ancestor" and
laug possibly meaning "vowed, promised, bound in oath".
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.
Olive f English, FrenchFrom the English and French word for the type of tree, ultimately derived from Latin
oliva.
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 from the Latin word
oliva meaning
"olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke
Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually
Viola in disguise.
... [more] Olvido f SpanishMeans
"oblivion, forgetting" in Spanish, taken from the title of the Virgin
Mary Nuestra Señora del Olvido, Triunfo y Misericordias meaning "Our Lady of Oblivion, Triumph and Mercies". It commemorates an 1831 vision of Mary by the Spanish nun Sor Patrocinio.
Olwen f Welsh, Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceMeans
"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.
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.
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.
Oneida f EnglishFrom the name of a Native American tribe, perhaps meaning "standing rock".
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".
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".
Opeyemi f & m YorubaMeans
"gratitude is suitable for me" in Yoruba.
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 Hebrew
אוֹפִיר ('Ofir), meaning unknown. This is the name of a son of
Joktan in the Old Testament (where it is also used as a place name).
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".
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.
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.
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.
Ọṣun f Yoruba MythologyPossibly related to
ṣán meaning
"flow". In traditional Yoruba belief this is the name of the patron goddess of the Osun River, also associated with wealth, beauty and love.
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.
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.
Pachamama f Inca MythologyMeans
"earth mother" in Quechua, from
pacha "world, time" and
mama "mother". This was the name of an Inca goddess of the earth and fertility.
Padmavati f HinduismMeans
"resembling lotuses", derived from the Sanskrit word
पद्म (padma) meaning "lotus" combined with
वती (vati) meaning "resemblance". This is the name of the foster-mother of the god Hindu Skanda. This was also the name of a semi-legendary 14th-century queen of Mewar.
Pahoevotona'e f CheyenneMeans
"attached feathers woman", from Cheyenne
pȧhoe- "attach to" and
voto "feather, plume" combined with the feminine suffix
-e'é.
Paige f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"servant, page" in Middle English. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek
παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".
... [more] Paisley f English (Modern)From a Scots surname, originally from the name of a town near Glasgow, maybe ultimately derived from Latin
basilica "church". This is also a word (derived from the name of that same town) for a type of pattern commonly found on fabrics.
Pallas 1 f Greek MythologyProbably derived from a Greek word meaning
"maiden, young woman". This was an epithet of the Greek goddess
Athena. According to some legends it was originally the name of a friend of the goddess. Athena accidentally killed her while sparring, so she took the name in honour of her friend.
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.
Pamela f EnglishThis name was invented in the late 16th century by the poet Philip Sidney for use in his romance
Arcadia (1593). He possibly intended it to mean
"all sweetness" from Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
μέλι (meli) meaning "honey". It was later employed by author Samuel Richardson for the heroine in his novel
Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), after which time it became used as a given name. It did not become popular until the 20th century.
Pandora f Greek MythologyMeans
"all gifts", derived from a combination of Greek
πᾶν (pan) meaning "all" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". In Greek mythology Pandora was the first mortal woman.
Zeus gave her a jar containing all of the troubles and ills that mankind now knows, and told her not to open it. Unfortunately her curiosity got the best of her and she opened it, unleashing the evil spirits into the world.
Paninnguaq f GreenlandicMeans
"little daughter" in Greenlandic, from
panik "daughter" and the diminutive suffix
-nnguaq.
Pansy f EnglishFrom the English word for a type of flower, ultimately deriving from Old French
pensee "thought".
Papa f Polynesian MythologyMeans
"earth" in Maori. In Maori and other Polynesian mythology Papa or Papatuanuku was the goddess of the earth and the mother of many of the other gods. She and her husband
Rangi, the god of the sky, were locked in a tight embrace. Their children decided to separate them, a feat of strength accomplished by the god
Tāne.
Paraskeve f Late GreekDerived from Greek
παρασκευή (paraskeue) meaning
"preparation" or
"Friday" (being the day of preparation). This was the name of a 2nd-century saint who was martyred in Rome.
Paris 2 f VariousFrom the name of the capital city of France, which got its name from the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. In America the popularity of this name spiked up and then down between 2003 and 2006, around the time that the television personality and socialite Paris Hilton (1981-) was at the height of her fame.
Parisa f PersianMeans
"like a fairy" in Persian, derived from
پری (pari) meaning "fairy, sprite, supernatural being".
Parker m & f EnglishFrom an English occupational surname that meant
"keeper of the park".
Parnel f English (Archaic)Contracted form of
Petronel. In the later Middle Ages it became a slang term for a promiscuous woman, and the name subsequently fell out of use.
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).