Irish Names that Start With O
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- Oscar
Origin:
English or IrishMeaning:
"God spear, or deer-lover or champion warrior"Description:
Oscar is one of the most stylish Old Man Names of our era. While it's softened slightly in popularity over the past 20 years, that may be considered a very good thing.
- Oran
Origin:
Hebrew, Irish, ScottishMeaning:
"light, song, little green one"Description:
A calm and gentle multicultural choice. Oran is popular in Ireland, where its Gaelic form is Odhrán, meaning "little green one". In Scottish Gaelic, the name means "song", and in Hebrew, it's a combination of Or "light" + Ran "singing".
- Orin
Origin:
Variation of Oren or Oran, Hebrew, Irish, ScottishMeaning:
"laurel, light, song, little green one"Description:
Orin is one of a variety of similarly-spelled names that have a soft and sensitive image. The Orrin spelling has been known nationally via Republican Senator Hatch.
- Orla
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"golden princess"Description:
Orla is an Irish name closely associated with the high king Brian Boru, as it was the name of his sister, daughter and niece. It was very popular in the Middle Ages – the fourth most popular name in twelfth century Ireland – and has become popular again in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales today. In Irish, the name is commonly spelled Orlaith or Orlagh.
- O'neal
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"from the chief's line"Description:
Perfect as an updated namesake for Great-Uncle Neal (or Neil).
- O'shea
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"hawklike, stately"Description:
One of the jauntiest o' the O' names, the birth name of actor/ rapper Ice Cube.
- O'keeffe
Origin:
Irish surnameDescription:
If you love the venerable Southwestern painter but feel Georgia's gotten too overheated, you might want to go all the way to this Irish surname in the fashionable O' family.
- O'brien
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Brian"Description:
The use of O-prefixes could create the next wave of Irish-inflected names, offering an innovative way of honoring a relative with the old-fashioned moniker Brian. On Downton Abbey, the surname O'Brien was heard so often, it began to seem like a first.
- O'hara
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of Eaghra"Description:
The O'Haras are descended from Eaghra -- pronounced and phonetically spelled Ara -- the lord of Luighne, the modern Leyney in County Sligo. As a name, this makes a satisfying new twist on Harry, and may remind people of the poet Frank O'Hara or the movie and novel, Gone with the Wind.
- O'brian
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"descendant of Brian"Description:
Irish surname that refers to High King Brian Boru, also spelled O'Brien. Makes a fabulous first name.
- O'callahan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the church lover"Description:
One of the most usable of the fashionable O'Names.
- O'connor
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the hound lover"Description:
Perfect name for the child of dog enthusiasts, and much more distinctive than the trendy Connor.
- O'donnell
Origin:
irishMeaning:
"son of the brave one"Description:
Forget Donald. Honor Grandpa Don with this new spin.
- O'donovan
Origin:
Irish, 'son of the dark one"Description:
Donovan is on the rise, so why not this sequel?
- O'fallon
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the leader"Description:
Fallon has gone feminine, but this puts it back in the boys' camp.
- O'grady
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the noble one"Description:
Like the other O' names, this is a wonderful way to pass down a family name.
- O'keefe
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the kind one"Description:
Most parents interested in this name would be honoring either an ancestor or painter Georgia O'Keeffe.
- O'sullivan
Origin:
IrishMeaning:
"son of the black-eyed one"Description:
Sullivan has made itself into a first name and O'Sullivan may well follow suit.
- Oengus
Origin:
Irish mythology name, variation of AngusMeaning:
"one choice"Description:
Oengus is the old Irish form of the name most commonly found in the modern world as Angus, typically Scottish.
In Irish mythology, Oengus is the god of youth, love, and poetry.
- Obrien
Origin:
Irish surnameMeaning:
"descendant of Brian"Description:
The use of O-prefixes could create the next wave of Irish inflected names, offering an innovative way of honoring a relative with a behind the times moniker.
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