There are a few classic O names for boys that have never dropped off the naming charts – Oscar, Ollie, and Omar, for example.
The 15th letter of the alphabet still gives you a lot of scope for O-riginality.
So here’s our list of 39 baby boy names that start with O.
In this article 📝
- The most popular boys’ names starting with O
- What are some unique boy names that start with O?
- What are boy names with O from myths and literature?
- Rare boy names with O inspired by nature and travel
The most popular boys’ names starting with O
- Oliver: One of the top 30 names of the last decade, and still in the top 5 in the UK, Oliver is a classic. It means “olive tree”.
- Owen: This is the English version of the Welsh Celtic name, Owain. It means youth, or if you’ve got green thumbs, “of the yew tree”.
- Oscar: Some say this name goes back to the Norse Viking name Osgar, meaning “gentle friend.”
- Otis: A cool, bluesy tribute to the late, great Otis Redding, or simply the revival of an old Germanic name meaning “wealth”. This is a strong option that’s both cool and unusual, and it’s becoming more popular year on year.
- Omar: A name of Hebrew origin which is popular in Arabic and Spanish-speaking countries, it’s believed to mean “flourishing”, or “long life”.
What are some unique boy names that start with O?
There are many unusual boy names with O that come from different cultures. Here’s a taste from around the world:
From our community
6. Oakley: There’s a whole range of old English family names related to oak trees. This lovely variation means “meadow of oaks”.
6. Obadias: A modern take on the name of the biblical prophet Obadiah.
6. Obaid: A simple name from cultures across the Middle East meaning “servant”.
6. Odhran: An unusual Irish name for a boy. This one means “pale green”.
6. Olaf or Olin: The patron saint of Norway, these lovely names originally mean “descendant of the ancestors”.
6. Olexei: An O variant of the Russian boy’s name Alexei, this strong name means “defender”.
6. Omid: A Persian name with many variations, all of which mean “hope”.
6. Omri: An unusual and poetic Old Testament name meaning ‘wheat sheaf”.
6. Orazio: The Italian version of Horatio, this simple name means “prayer”.
6. Orran or Orhan: A gentle Gaelic name for a baby boy meaning “light” or “pale”.
6. Orville: An Old French name meaning “town of gold”.
6. Oshin or Ossian: A name from multiple cultures, with beautiful meanings in all of them. In the UK, it’s likely to be the English version of the Irish name, Oisín, meaning “little deer”. In Japanese, it means “flower”, while in Iran and Armenia, it’s believed to come from the word for “prosperity”.
6. Osias: This is a Hebrew boy’s name meaning “salvation”.
6. Osric: An ancient Anglo-Saxon name that belonged to several kings, this strong O name means “divine or godly ruler”.
6. Ostin: An alternative spelling for the more commonly-seen Austin, this name is from Latin and French and means “magnificent”.
6. Oswald: A strong boy’s name from Old German, originally meaning “God’s rule”.
6. Ottokar: If you like Otto, but want something even more unusual, this Germanic variant extends the idea of “wealth” to mean “guardian of the inheritance”.
6. Ouais: Originally from Arabic, meaning “little wolf”.
What are boy names with O from myths and literature?
Boy names that start with O are plentiful throughout myths and stories. If you look to legends, you’ll find some powerful characters who could give your baby a great moniker.
- Obiwan: For all of you Star Wars fans, the Force would be strong with this little peanut.
- Oberon: What about this mythical name for the king of the fairies, made famous by Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?
- Octavian: While the literal meaning of this Latin name – “eighth” – might seem a little random, the original Octavian was the first Roman emperor.
- Odin: A name from Scandinavia, originally meaning “frenzied” or “furious”. Odin was also the supreme Norse god of art, culture, and wisdom.
- Odysseus: If your little peanut is destined for adventure, this might be the name for you. The hero of the greatest epic in all mythology, Odysseus is a beautiful Greek name that evokes heroism and bravery, even if its original meaning, “son of pain” is a little on the tragic side.
- Ollivander: A beautiful and unique male name starting with O for all you Harry Potter fans.
- Olympios: If Greek heroes are your thing, but you can’t choose one mythical character, why not give a shout out to the whole pantheon with this name meaning “of Mount Olympus”.
- Orion: The great hunter of Greek mythology, immortalized by Zeus when he placed him in the stars.
- Orlando: Whether you associate it with the Shakespearean hero or a certain British actor, this name means “of famous land” in Italian.
- Orsino: A noble and generous duke in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this name means “little bear”.
- Osiris: A powerful name that has been steadily climbing in popularity in the U.S. since 2000. One of the most important gods in ancient Egypt, Osiris was the god of fertility and new life, and ruler of the underworld.
- Othello: Shakespeare’s famous hero was a good king driven mad by Iago’s devilish tricks.
Rare boy names with O inspired by nature and travel
Of course, we can’t tell you the rarest name for a boy starting with O, but we think these nature-inspired O names might come close:
- Ocean: It’s becoming more common, but this gender-neutral name is still unusual enough to make waves.
- Onyx: What boy isn’t going to grow up to be the coolest kid in school with this moniker? This is the name of a sought-after gemstone that produces stripes of different colors.
- Orca: If you’re an ocean lover, but want something even more striking, why not consider this beautiful name for killer whales? It was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to mean, you guessed it, “whale”.
- Oslo: If geography and travel are your thing, what about this beautiful name for the Norwegian capital?
We hope you’ve found some inspiration on this list. If you’d like to browse even more names for boys, may we suggest:
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