Girls Names Ending With O: Willow, Coco, Marlowe

Girls names ending with O range often feel feminine, but not too frilly. They range from the ancient to the oh-so modern, with plenty of choices falling somewhere in between.

Whether your favorites girls names are as brief as Jo or as elaborate as Callisto, there’s something for everyone on this list.

International options abound, especially factoring in Japanese given names.

And surname choices are on the upswing, from Harlow and Marlowe to Monroe and Kahlo.

Read on for a long list of possible baby girl names ending in O.

GIRL NAMES ENDING WITH O

AKIKO

This is one of many Japanese girls names ending in o, thanks to the element ko – child.

AMPARO

In Spanish, Amparo means shelter or refuge. It became a possible given name thanks to the Marian title Nuestra Señora del Amparo, or “Our Lady of Refuge.”

AREZOO

A rare Persian name meaning desire.

ARLO

A very popular boy’s name, used in steady numbers for girls, too.

AYO

Ayo comes from a Yoruba word meaning joy. Among many other roles, actress Florence Kasumba played Ayo in the Black Panther movies.

BARBRO

A Swedish take on Barbara.

BARDOT

French screen legend Brigitte Bardot makes this a glamorous possibility. It’s worth noting, however, that Bardot has been convicted for inciting racial hatred multiple times in her native France. She’s a style icon, but her name carries some baggage.

BEAU, BO

Yes, Beau is the French word for handsome. The feminine equivalent is Belle. However, women have been named Beau and Bo. Actress Bo Derek – born Mary Cathleen Collins –  became a sensation in the late 1970s and early 80s. More recently, there’s model and actress Beau Garrett – her real name. Plus, girl names like Isabeau and Christabeau end with the sound.

BRIO

This musical term meaning “with spirit” could make a great, unexpected unisex choice.

CADEAU

The French word for gift, and a different take on Kate and company.

CAIRO

Ontario doesn’t sound like a name, and Orlando feels more masculine. But Cairo somehow Cairo is a unisex option.

CALICO

A few fabric names, like Velvet and Lace, are used in small numbers. Calico could fit.

CALLISTO

Calista Flockhart put her name on the map, but the ends-with-o version is equally valid for girls, too. It means “most beautiful.” Kallisto was a Greek nymph who caught the eye of Zeus and ended up as a constellation.

CALYPSO

An island nymph, Calypso kept Odysseus captive in the famous tale. It’s also a type of music.

CAMEO

A type of portrait, typically carved in relief, cameos have been used in jewelry and ornamental items for centuries. That puts Cameo in the same category as Ruby or Pearl.

CARO

A short form for Caroline, Caro is a sparky spin on Cara.

CHICAGO

It’s not the only place name on this list, but it’s the only inspired by a Kardashian grandchild.

CIELO

It’s the Spanish and Italian word for the sky and heaven, and a newcomer to the US Top 1000.

CLEO

Sometimes short for Cleopatra, the name of more than one queen of Egypt. Cleopatra VII was the famous one, she of the kohl eyes and Hollywood biopic.

CLIO

A cousin to Cleo, Clio was the Greek mythological muse of history. It’s said that she introduced the alphabet to Greece. Like Cleo, the name comes from the word kleos – glory.

COCO

Gabrielle Chanel’s nickname is long associated with high fashion.

CONSUELO

Consuelo Vanderbilt was an American railroad heiress who married into the upper echelons of the English aristocracy. Her Spanish name came from her Cuban godmother. The name peaked in the 1920s. Today it is part-import, part-virtue name – Consuelo means consolation and refers to a title of the Virgin Mary.

DIDO

The Queen of Carthage, her story is retold by Virgil in the Aeneid.

DOE

Doe might be short for Dorothy, or any name starting with Do. A doe is a female deer, too, which puts Doe in the company of Bear, Wolf, Fox, Lion, Hawk, and all of those bird names for girls.

DOMINO

A cousin to all of the Dominic names, Domino might be short for Dominique or Dominetta.

ECHO

She met a tragic end thanks to a jealous Hera, but Echo’s sound is quite current. Musician Nick Hexum is the parent of three daughters: Harlow, Maxine, and Echo.

ELENIKO

A sometimes heard Helen/Ellen nickname, most common in Georgian.

ERATO

Like Clio, Erato is one of the nine muses. Her domain is poetry.

FLO

A Florence nickname, Flo has been made famous by women across the ages. The current most notable Flo? Progressive Insurance’s spokesperson, played to perfection by actress Stephanie Courtney.

GARBO

Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo might put her surname on this list, and lend it plenty of Hollywood glam, too.

HALO

It’s one-part spiritual, one-part video game, and a stylish, appealing sound, too.

HARLOW

Starbaby-turned-starlet Nicole Richie gave this name to her daughter in 2008, inspired by yet another Hollywood star, Jean Harlow. It quickly became a mainstream favorite.

HERO

Maybe Hero is a lot to live up to. But the name appears in both Greek myth – she’s Leander’s beloved – and Shakespeare, where she’s one of the central figures in Much Ado About Nothing. English popstar-turned-television-presenter Myleene Klass gave the name to her younger daughter in 2011.

INDIGO

We sometimes think of blue as a color for boys, but Indigo feels like an interesting possibility for either gender.

INDIO

As in the California town that hosts Coachella every year.

IO

Two letters and still two syllables? For a tiny name, Io packs a mighty punch. She’s another nymph changed into a creature after Zeus fell for her, and also the name of a moon of Jupiter.

ISABEAU

Can you import a name from medieval France? Let’s say yes, because Isabeau really deserves more attention. An all-but-lost form of Isabelle, it may not end with the letter O, but it’s the right sound.

JERICHO

An Old Testament place name of uncertain meaning, Jericho is more popular for boys, but sounds like a unisex possibility.

JO

A tiny name, Jo brings to mind Little Women’s Jo March – as well as dozens of other women, most of whom were born Josephine, Joanna, Joelle, or some other Jo- name.

JOJO

Another obvious nickname for Jo- names, this one is in the spotlight lately thanks to reality star-turned-YouTuber/actress/singer Joelle Joanie “JoJo” Siwa.

JUNEAU

The capital of Alaksa, named for prospector Joe Juneau after the 72 miners living in the settlement took a vote.

JUNO

Among the most wearable of the bunch, thanks to similarity to June and Juniper, Juno is the Roman name for the queen of the gods, Jupiter’s consort. Coldplay’s Will Champion is father to Ava, Rex, and Juno.

KAHLO

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is a fascinating figure, and her last name could make a great artistic first name for a daughter.

KAMIKO, KIMIKO

More Japanese names. Kimiko shortens to Kim, making this an obvious English crossover option.

KEIKO

Another Japanese option, one possible meaning for Keiko is “lucky one.”

LETO

Another name from Greek myth, Leto remains obscure. But her twins are famous: Apollo and Artemis. The similar Leta or Leda is another mythical figure. Respell it to the more phonetic Lido, and it’s a deck on a cruise ship.

LILO

She’s the BFF of adorable alien Stitch in the Disney flicks-turned-series. It’s Hawaiian; Lilo can mean lost or generous. Both are appropriate for the character.

LORETO

An Italian place name strongly associated with the Virgin Mary.

LUCERO

It’s associated with the Spanish word luz – light – and is used primarily in Spanish-speaking countries.

MARGO, MARGOT

The French Margot is a traditional short form of Margaret, making this the grandmama of girls names ending with o. This is a vintage pick with a lot of style, also spelled Margo and Margaux. Today Margot is most often used as an independent given name. It shares the same meaning as classic Margaret, too: pearl.

MARIKO

Another Japanese name with a strong meaning: genuine.

MARLO

Actress Marlo Thomas was born Margaret; Marlo was a childhood nickname that stuck. This spelling feels retro and sparky, but the surname versions are more popular.

MARLOW, MARLOWE

Take two parts Harlow and one part Mackenzie, and you’ll have Marlowe, among the fastest-rising surname name possibilities of the moment.

MARIGOT

A popular place name throughout the Caribbean, Marigot turns Margot up to eleven.

MEADOW

This gentle nature name was worn by television mobster Tony Soprano’s daughter in the early 2000s. Combined with the stylish O ending, Meadow is an on-trend name that’s just different enough.

MINNOW

If we love bird names, maybe fish work, too? Or maybe Minnow just feels like a promising Minnie/Margot mash-up.

MINOO

Also spelled Minu, this name means paradise in Persian. While it ends with an O, it’s more of a U sound.

MONROE

Few legends shine as brightly as the late Marilyn Monroe. Singer Mariah Carey named her daughter for the Hollywood icon.

MORROW

Legendary journalist Edward R. Morrow is one famous bearer. But an even better reason to consider Morrow? It’s a poetic term for the morning.

NICO

Short for Nicholas or Nicole or any of the related Nic- names, unisex Nico is a promising possibility, bridging the traditional and the new.

ORORO

Possibly best for X-Men fans, though the world knows this comic book hero better as Storm. Actresses Halley Berry and Alexandra Shipp have both played the part.

PICABO

Olympic gold medal-winning skiier Picabo Street too her name from Picabo, Idaho, near her hometown.

RIO

The Spanish word for river, and the nickname for the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro, plenty of associations attach to this three-letter name. In the 1980s, British pop stars Duran Duran scored a huge hit with a song about a girl: “her name is Rio and she dances on the sand.” Just like River, this is a unisex possibility.

ROSARIO

Actress Rosario Dawson made her unusual name famous, but it’s a traditional choice in Spanish. Rosario refers to the rosary, as in the Marian title Our Lady of the Rosary.

SADAKO

It’s among the most famous of Japanese names, thanks to Sadako Sasaki, and her story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Published in 1977, it’s the semi-autobiographical story of a Japanese girl living with leukemia following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Sadako folds paper cranes because legend says that anyone who folds 1,000 will be granted their wish.

SHILOH

A Neil Diamond song, a fictional dog, and a Civil War battlefield = a stylish name for either gender. Shiloh Jolie-Pitt raised the name’s profile dramatically.

SOCORRO

A cousin to Consuelo, Socorro means help in Spanish. It saw some use in the 1920s, but today Socorro is nearly unknown in the US. It’s an unconventional way to get to the nickname Coco.

SPARROW

Bird names are a big category today, and Sparrow has seen some use for girls as well as boys.

SNOW

Winter is a current favorite, so why not Snow? It’s also a Disney Princess name, as well as a color name and, sometimes, a surname, too.

VALO

The Finnish word for light, Valo brings to mind the words valor and valiant. It’s a cheerful possibility for either gender.

VERO

A beach in Florida and a fresh spin on Vera.

WILLOW

Willow went from television witch – she’s the BFF of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – to Will and Jada’s talented daughter. Now it’s a Top 100 pick.

WINSLOW

Another surname name in the key of Harlow.

YOKO

Forever famous thanks to John Lennon’s second wife, the artist, activist, and musician Yoko Ono.

Would you use one of these girls names ending with O?

This post was originally published on January 11, 2013. It was substantially revised and re-posted on October 15, 2015; August 15, 2019; and July 27, 2023.