O: the roundest letter and the tree behind its names
The letter O was drawn as an eye by the Phoenicians, who called it ayin, and the circle has hardly changed in three thousand years. O names have a round, open sound to match. Many of them lead back to a single tree and its long history as a symbol of peace.
One tree, four names
Olivia, Oliver, Olive and the French Olivier all mean "olive tree". The olive branch has stood for peace since ancient times, which may explain why parents of every era keep picking the name. Olivia and Oliver are among the most used in English-speaking countries, and Olive is a lovely vintage alternative that no longer sounds dated.
Odin, Oisin and Orla: names with a story
Many O names come from sagas and legend. Odin was the Norse chief of the gods, and Oskar means divine spear. Irish gives us Oisin, a poet of the Fenian legends, whose name means "little deer", and Orla, which means golden princess. Welsh gives Olwen, "white footprint", from a tale in which flowers grew wherever she walked.
The letter goes further afield too. Ottilie and Otto are German, Oksana and Olga are Russian, and Obinna means "father's heart" in Igbo, a language of Nigeria.
O names worth a closer look
- Orla
A short Irish name with a regal meaning, rising in many countries.
- Olwen
A Welsh name from legend, soft and rarely heard.
- Oskar
A Scandinavian boy name with a crisp sound and a mighty meaning.
- Ottilie
A German name with a vintage charm and the nickname Tilly.
- Oakley
A surname-style unisex name drawn from the oak tree.
Famous people whose first names start with O
- Oprah Winfrey, the media entrepreneur and talk-show host
- Oscar Wilde, the Irish playwright and author of The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Octavia Butler, the science fiction author
- Orville Wright, who made the first powered airplane flight with his brother Wilbur in 1903
- Olivia Colman, the Oscar-winning British actor
- Otis Redding, the soul singer
- Olga Korbut, the Soviet gymnast who dazzled the 1972 Olympics
Questions about O names
How do you pronounce Oisin?
It sounds like "uh-SHEEN".
What does Olivia mean?
Olivia means olive tree, a symbol of peace in many cultures.