Cool Names with a Strong O

Ozzy has been on the rise in recent years and currently sits in the Top 1000 in the UK and the US. The Ozzie spelling has yet to catch up, but has nevertheless gained more attention thanks to its popular counterpart. Given to 135 boys and to 50 girls in 2023, for every one Ozzie there are three Ozzys.

For the seriously audacious biblical baby namer who wants to move beyond Elijah and Josiah, this name has considerable old-fangled charm. Obadiah, who gave his name to one of the shortest books in the Bible, was a rich man who had the gift of prophecy. There are several other men named Obadiah in the Bible, as well as a Saint Obadiah. There have been two prominent U.S. senators named Obadiah.

Odette's evil Swan Lake twin -- gives the name a sinuous, sensuous appeal.

Could Philo be the next Milo?

Nicolo is a more lively variation of Nicholas and one of the most attractive Italian names for boys. A name with a long, distinguished Italian history of its own, it also boasts the charming nickname Nico.

Pretty Hebrew name that would create a strong but feminine impression, as well as a variant of the Germanic name Odilia or Ottilie.

Roman statesman's name with a cool and quirky sound. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman scholar, orator and lawyer who had an immense impact on the Latin language.

Softer than Benedict, less popular than Benjamin, and bolder than Bennett, Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro introduced this name to the American mainstream in the early 2000s, before which the name was hardly use. Popular in Argentina, Benicio debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2016, when it was the third-fastest-rising boys' name, and while it hasn't skyrocketed then, it remains comfortably in the charts.

Orchid is a hothouse bloom that has not been plucked by many modern baby namers — yet. In the language of flowers, orchids symbolize love, beauty, and sophistication.

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.

Pablo, the commonly used Spanish version of Paul, has the added bonus of some fantastic artistic bearers: painter Picasso, cellist Casals, and poet Neruda. Pablo has been consistently in the US charts since records began, and has been within the Top 500 since the mid 60s. However, Pablo has never cracked the Top 200, making it familiar but not overused or tired.

Subtract the last two letters of Arnold, and you're left with a much more modern-sounding name. Arno is also the name of the main river in Florence, upon which sits the famed Ponte Vecchio. The Italian river name means "flowing water".

Paolo is an irresistibly lush Italian name for boys, worlds more romantic than its spare English equivalent.

Cayo is a rare and rhythmic Spanish name, all but unknown in the English-speaking world, that would make a lively choice.

Elmo, like fellow Sesame Street characters Kermit and Grover, has a hard time being taken seriously. (It isn't easy being red either.)

Joyful-sounding name that makes a really original option.

The most popular of the number names used by Hispanic parents, open to all. Octavia and Octavio are two Spanish baby names that are moving out into the wider world.

Giacomo is a primo member of the Giovanni-Gino-Giancarlo-Giacomo gruppo of Italian names that are beginning to be adopted by American parents. Singer/creative baby namer Sting chose it for his son.

One of the best known early Nemos was the captain in Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, while the more familiar modern one is the animated little orange fish in the Disney movie. Unusual name well worth considering. By the way, there is also a Shakespearean Nemo and one in Dickens's Bleak House. An enchanting early comic strip by Winsor McCay was called Little Nemo.

Benno is a cool name in its own right -- there was a tenth century Saint Benno -- though it is also used as a lively nickname for Benjamin. Saint Benno of Meissen is the patron saint of anglers and weavers and, strangely enough, alliteration.