By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 8 pages
of 8
Latin via French
"sunrise; gold"
A particularly beautiful member of the Oriana and Orane clan,Oriane is the first name of a major character in Proust's In Search Of Lost Time , the Duchesse de Guermantes. Also borne by climber…
Norse
"ancestor's relic"
Olaf, though sainted and regal in Norway, is slightly oafish here. It is one of those names that has become completely familiar in the U.S. without ever becoming assimilated. Now that he's a comical…
Hebrew
"gold"
Feminine form of Ophir, a Biblical place name famed for its riches.
Irish
"golden princess"
In early, pre-Norman Ireland, this name was borne by both a sister and a niece of high king Brian Boru. Now, the English form Orla is more commonly used.
Arabic
"long life; red"
Omaira is an intriguing Middle Eastern possibility.
"light of God"
Unisex name in Israel, ideal for a Hanukkah baby.
Invented name
Nabisco has never revealed the origins of their sandwich cookie brand name, but the prevailing theory is that it was derived from Oreodaphne , a genus in the laurel family.
Brand name
Oreo is a masculine name derived from the famous sandwich cookie brand introduced in 1912. As a given name, it represents a modern trend of naming inspired by consumer products and pop culture. The…
Spanish form of Homer, Greek
"security, pledge"
Omero lifts Homer out of both The Simpsons and The Odyssey, making it a romantic name ala Romeo. Some sources give the meaning of Omero and Homer as "hostage".
French
"bright warrior"
A medieval French feminine form of Humbert, also found as Humbeline.
French variation of Olympia
Latin
"golden"
Pretty Victorian-feeling cousin of Ariel; also, more prosaically, a kind of bay window.
Orilla is a feminine name with Latin origins, derived from 'ora' meaning 'coast' or 'shore.' This uncommon name evokes imagery of peaceful coastal landscapes and ocean borders. While never reaching…
Japanese
"worker's field"
Not as familiar as some other Asian imports; has a strong unisex feel.
"to excite, to stir the mind"
A pretty, feminissima name, more distinctive than Cynthia. George Bernard Shaw used it for a character in his play The Apple Cart, about which it is said 'Orinthia is a name full of magic for me.'
Catalan
Intriguing name that's a Top 100 choice in Spain and virtually unknown outside that country. But has definitely possibilities for the adventurous baby namer.
A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this…
Welsh
"white footprint"
Olwen is a Welsh favorite, the name of a legendary princess in what is believed to have been the earliest Arthurian romance, and in fact one of the first recorded examples of Welsh prose. In this…
"light"
A bit blunt.
Olva is a feminine name with Norse and Old English origins. It is derived from the Old Norse name "Óláfr" meaning "ancestor's descendant" or possibly a feminine form of "Ulf" meaning "wolf." In Old…
