Girl Names That Start With O
Only a handful of girls’ names start with O, which is exactly why they stand out. The letter has one superstar, Olivia, and a long tail of rarer gems: Shakespearean Ophelia, ballet-born Odette, Irish Orla, earthy Olive and glittering Opal. We gathered 90+ girl names that start with O and noted each one’s meaning and origin.
O names open with a round, open vowel, so they tend to sound soft and a little romantic. Pair one with a crisp middle name from our middle names for girls, compare with girl names that start with N and P, or look at boy names that start with O for a sibling set.
Popular O names for girls
The O names you are most likely to meet in a US classroom today. Olivia has been at or near No. 1 in Social Security data for years; see more chart-toppers in popular girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Olivia | Olive tree; coined by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night | Latin/English |
| Olive | The olive tree, a symbol of peace | Latin |
| Ophelia | Help, benefit | Greek |
| Oakley | Oak meadow | English surname |
| Octavia | Eighth | Latin |
| Oaklynn | Oak + lynn, “lake” | Modern American |
| Opal | Precious stone | Sanskrit, via Greek and Latin |
| Oriana | Golden; or to rise (dawn) | Latin/Spanish |
| Odette | Wealth, fortune | French, from Germanic Oda |
| Oaklee | Oak meadow, variant of Oakley | Modern American |
| Ollie | Diminutive of Olivia or Olive | English |
| Oakleigh | Oak clearing | English |
Vintage and old-fashioned O names
Many of these filled birth certificates around 1900 and are due for a comeback. Browse vintage girl names for more from the same era.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Ottilie | Prosperous in battle | German (Odilia) |
| Olga | Holy, blessed | Russian, from Norse Helga |
| Ora | Light (Hebrew); pray (Latin) | Hebrew/Latin |
| Ona | Grace, Lithuanian form of Anna | Lithuanian |
| Odessa | From the Odyssey; also the Ukrainian port city | Greek |
| Olympia | From Mount Olympus | Greek |
| Oleta | Possibly winged; a Southern US favorite around 1900 | American |
| Orpha | Fawn; form of Orpah | Hebrew |
| Ola | Descendant (Norse); wealth (Yoruba) | Norse/Yoruba |
| Odile | Wealth, fortune | French |
| Ottoline | Wealth | German/English |
| Olivette | Little olive | French |
| Ouida | Child’s pronunciation of Louisa, “famous warrior” | English |
| Oralie | Golden; French form of Aurelia | French |
| Oriel | Golden (from Aurelia); also a bay window | English |
| Oda | Wealth, fortune | Germanic |
Nature, gem and word names that start with O
O gives you trees, flowers, stones and seasons. For more in this style, see gemstone names and nature names for girls.
| Name | What it refers to | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean | The sea | Bold, free-spirited |
| Oceana | Of the ocean | Flowing, feminine |
| Onyx | Banded black gemstone | Edgy, unisex |
| Olivine | Olive-green mineral (peridot) | Rare and sparkly |
| Opaline | Like opal; milky and iridescent | Vintage glamour |
| Orchid | The orchid flower | Exotic, elegant |
| Oleander | Flowering evergreen shrub | Southern garden |
| Oriole | Golden songbird | Bright, cheerful |
| October | The tenth month (Latin octo, “eight”) | Autumn babies |
| Oasis | Green refuge in the desert | Peaceful |
| Obsidian | Black volcanic glass | Mysterious |
Irish and Celtic O names (with pronunciation)
Irish offers some of the most beautiful O names. Hear them in full on our Irish girl names list and Celtic girl names.
| Name | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Orla | OR-la | Golden princess (Órfhlaith) |
| Orlaith | OR-la | Golden princess; original Irish spelling |
| Oona | OO-na | Lamb, or unity; Irish Úna |
| Oonagh | OO-na | Queen of the fairies in Irish folklore |
| Onóra | oh-NOR-a | Honor; Irish form of Honora |
| Ornait | OR-nitch | Little pale-green one |
| Odharnait | OR-nitch | Little sallow or dark one |
| Olwen | OL-wen | White footprint; Welsh legend |
| Olwyn | OL-win | Variant of Olwen |
| Oighrig | OY-rik | Scottish Gaelic, often anglicized as Effie |
Mythological and literary O names
Heroines, nymphs and goddesses. See also mythology girl names and goddess names.
| Name | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oenone | Wine | Mountain nymph, first wife of Paris |
| Orithyia | Raging in the mountains | Athenian princess carried off by Boreas |
| Omphale | Navel | Queen of Lydia in the Heracles myth |
| Olympias | Of Olympus | Mother of Alexander the Great |
| Oshun | From the Osun River | Yoruba orisha of rivers, love and fertility |
| Oya | She tore | Yoruba orisha of wind and storms |
| Ondine | Wave; a water spirit | European folklore (Undine) |
| Ostara | Linked to the dawn and Easter | Germanic spring goddess (debated by scholars) |
| Olympe | Of Olympus | French; Olympe de Gouges, writer |
| Orihime | Weaving princess | Japanese Tanabata legend |
| Orinthia | Uncertain; coined by George Bernard Shaw | The Apple Cart (1929) |
O names from around the world
From Kyiv to Lagos, these are names in everyday use in their home countries. Find more in Ukrainian girl names and Hebrew girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Oksana | Praise to God, or hospitable | Ukrainian |
| Olena | Torch, light; form of Helen | Ukrainian |
| Olesya | Of the forest | Russian/Belarusian |
| Oliwia | Olive tree | Polish |
| Océane | Ocean | French |
| Ornella | Flowering ash tree | Italian |
| Orsola | Little bear | Italian |
| Oihana | Forest | Basque |
| Ofelia | Help, benefit | Spanish |
| Odalys | Possibly from Odalis, “wealth” | Spanish/Latin American |
| Orit | Light | Hebrew |
| Ophira | Gold | Hebrew |
| Odelia | Praise God | Hebrew |
| Orly | My light (Hebrew); also a French place name | Hebrew/French |
| Oluchi | God’s work | Igbo |
| Omolara | Child is family | Yoruba |
| Ozioma | Good news, gospel | Igbo |
| Oyinkansola | Honey drips into wealth | Yoruba |
| Ozlem | Longing, yearning | Turkish |
| Oriane | Golden, dawn | French |
| Ottavia | Eighth | Italian |
| Otylia | Prosperous in battle | Polish |
| Oleksandra | Defender of the people | Ukrainian |
| Ofra | Fawn | Hebrew |
| Orsolya | Little bear | Hungarian |
Gender-neutral O names
These work for any child and feel modern. For more, look at our cool girl names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | Land of oak trees | English place name |
| Orion | Mythical hunter; a constellation | Greek |
| Ori | My light | Hebrew |
| Oluwaseun | We thank God | Yoruba |
| Oaklyn | Oak lake | Modern American |
| Oswin | God’s friend | Old English |
How to pick the right O name
- Think about the vowel clash. O names ending in -a (Orla, Oona) can run into surnames that start with a vowel. Say “Orla Allen” aloud before you commit.
- Olivia is very common. If you love the sound but not the popularity, try Olive, Oriana, Ottilie or Ophelia.
- Help people with Irish spellings. Orlaith and Órnait are easy to love but hard to guess; Orla and Oona are simpler versions.
- Use O as a middle initial. A short O name like Opal, Ora or Olive makes a lovely middle name with nearly any first name.
- Look at meaning. Ora, Orit, Orly and Ori all mean light. Explore more in names that mean light.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name that starts with O?
Olivia, by a wide margin. It has been the No. 1 or No. 2 girls’ name in the US for most years since 2014, according to SSA data.
What is a unique girl name beginning with O?
Ottilie, Oriana, Orla, Odessa, Oenone and Olwen are all uncommon in the US but have long histories.
Which O girl names are short?
Ora, Ona, Ola, Oya, Orla, Olive and Opal all have four or five letters and work well as first or middle names.
How do you pronounce Orlaith?
Orlaith is pronounced OR-la. It is the Irish spelling of Orla and means “golden princess.”
Is Ophelia a good baby name?
Ophelia means “help” in Greek and is best known from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Despite the character’s tragic story, the name has climbed steadily in US rankings since the 2010s.