Cat Names That Start With O

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelia, Oriole is extremely rare as a name: No babies were given the name in the US in 2022. But most people are aware of the Oriole bird, which makes this name uncommon yet possible.

Like many a popular name, Ornella is a theatrical creation. Italian playwright Gabriele d'Annunzio created this name for his dramatic heroine in the 1904 play La Figlia di Iorio. Ornella is a feminization of the orno or ornello, which is the Italian word for the Fraxinus Ornus, a type of tree which produces such sweet sap that it was compared to biblical manna.

Spanish and Romanian form of Ottilia or Odilia

Though it has never charted in the United States, this frilly name has the elements some brave, modern namers might find attractive—namely, the initial O and the -ia suffix.

This name, rich with meaning, is one of the more widely-used names in the Nigerian diaspora.

The memorable folk singer, an early single-name celeb, brought this into the spotlight. The French variation is Odette.

Striking and glamorous, though perhaps just plain Zara is intriguing enough.

Long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman, this name's main problem is that almost all other ette-ending names -- from Annette to Paulette -- are unequivocally feminine.

No babies of any gender were named Orange in the US in the most recent year counted. But that doesn't mean, in this era of anything-goes baby names, that it couldn't happen.

Octave shortens Octavius to a more manageable length, keeping the "eighth" meaning. In English speaking countries, however, people could easily confuse this with the musical term octave.

Nabisco has never revealed the origins of their sandwich cookie brand name, but the prevailing theory is that it was derived from Oreodaphne, a genus in the laurel family.

Otter first came onto the baby name radar when Zooey Deschanel used it as a middle name for her daughter in 2015. It entered the US charts the same year, but as a boy name. Cute, sleek and wild, it's an interesting alternative to more popular animal names like Fox and Bear.

An attractive name that's uncommon even in its native Finland. Onneli ja Anneli is a Finnish children's movie translated to English as Jill and Joy, although the names are unrelated.

This grandpa-esque nickname traditionally short for masculine names like Osmond, Oscar, or Oswald is starting to get traction on its' own — both for boys and girls.

While we don't see many parents adopting Otter as a name for their own babies, Zooey Deschanel put this one in the lexicon when she used it as a middle name for her adorably-named daughter Elsie Otter. Even in the celebrisphere, Otter is one of the most unique baby names we've heard.

A very distinctive musical choice, but be aware that many people will think you've named your child Oprah.

A bird name from the same Latin root as Aurelio.