The baby name Oriana is a golden, literary possibility for a daughter.
Thanks to Rachel for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
MEANING OF THE NAME ORIANA
The Latin aurum means gold. It became or in French and oro in Spanish, words that we recognize today.
That makes the baby name Oriana a glittering name, a precious metal with all the positive associations.
MEDIEVAL LITERARY NAME
Miguel Cervantes created Don Quixote, that imaginary knight who tilted at windmills, in the early 1600s.
Cervantes drew from a chivalric romance, Amadis of Gaul. In Don Quixote, Amadis’ story inspires the title character, too.
First written down sometime in the early 1400s, and likely based on older oral traditions, Amadis might even be a little bit true. (Though prequels and sequels embellished the story.)
Here’s a rough outline:
Amadis got a rough start in life. Born to a king and a princess, his parents abandoned the illegitimate Amadis as an infant. His luck changed, however, and rescuers found the baby, and raised to be a knight. He meets Princess Oriana, heiress to the throne of Great Britain, when they’re still children. He’s a nobody and she’s a blue blood, but they fall madly in love anyhow.
Drama follows.
It’s a plot line that never grows old. In some versions, Amadis and Oriana do live happily ever after.
Some insist that real-life queen Eleanor of Aquitaine inspired the character of Oriana. Others point to Constanza of Aragon.
At least four operas take inspiration from Amadis and Oriana’s romance.
It’s easy to imagine the entire medieval world recognizing the name Oriana.
MORE ORIANAS
Other uses of the name include:
- English composer Thomas Morley compiled a book of madrigals called The Triumphs of Oriana. First published in 1601, the book referred to Queen Elizabeth I, just like Gloriana.
- Another tale of star-crossed lovers borrowed the name. This time, a Christian knight kidnapped Fatima, a Moorish princess. He married her and she took the Christian name Oureana. It’s almost certainly a myth, but you can still visit a town – and castle – called Ourém in modern day Portugal.
- Marcel Proust gave the name Oriane to a duchess in his Remembrance of Things Past.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ORIANA?
The baby name Oriana has never cracked the US Top 1000.
Ariana, on the other hand, ranks #96, with Arianna not far behind at #188.
Orion ranks in the current boys’ Top 1000, as do names like Gloria and Victoria.
But Oriana? It was given to just 130 girls in 2023. An additional 32 girls were named Orianna, with two Ns.
Compare that to the over 2,700 newborn Arianas, and it is clear that this name is rare, indeed.
GOLDEN, GLITTERING GIRL NAME
Straight out of medieval romance, golden Oriana feels very feminine and plenty strong. It’s nicely literary, too, and the meaning seems certain to appeal.
If you’re looking for something like Olivia and Ariana, but not nearly as common, the baby name Oriana deserves a closer look.
What do you think of the baby name Oriana?
First published on March 2, 2010, this post was revised and updated on August 9, 2024.
Will this be updated at any point? Would love to read about the history of Oriana. I’ve recently discovered her, and I find her pretty yet strong, and really, really beautiful.
She’s updated now – and yes, she’s lovely!
I have loved the name Oriana ever since I read books by Oriana Fallaci in college.
Thanks for mentioning my translation.
“Oriana” would be pronounced oh-ree-AH-na in Spanish.
Except for Oriana and Amadis, the names of the principal characters in the novel “Amadis of Gaul” come from Arthurian legend — or at least the way Spaniards imagined them and pronounced in Medieval times, which leaves me mystified.
Muchas gracias.
If I were to use this I’d go with Oriane, which is the version I originally suggested as a NotD. Oriana somehow takes things too far into the sugary girly realm for me. I agree with Sebastiane
I adore Oriana, she is one of my favorites. I have noticed that I tend to like O names.
I like Oriana alot. I actually knew an Oriana a couple years back when I was working at the daycare center. She was such a sweet little girl. I worked with her mother. Very pretty name!
I like Ariana and Adriana too, but they are getting too popular.
Julie, I like Octavia too. I am a sucker for unusual names. Ha ha
I love Octavia! It was one of the few non-family names Arthur and I ever agreed on.
I love “O” names, but Oriana is TOO sugary and delicate for my taste. I think it’s the vowel to consonant ratio, because I like Octavia and Daria. Oriana fits in with Alexandria and Evangelina, which are just too much of a good thing.
Now Amadis I Like! Maybe not for a human, but it would be an excellent name for a cat.
I can really see a cat called Amadis!
And Oriana is rather delicate, isn’t she?
I’ve always loved Oriana. It’s so pretty and melflous (sp). I know too many Arianas to use it, though.
I’m really surprised that Oriana has Spanish origins, because orina is the Spanish word for urine. I teach Spanish in the U.S. and it’s the first thing I thought of. I wonder if Spaniards would see the same thing, or see the the literary reference.
That is interesting, Mir!
When I first saw it, my first thought was that it was the female version of Orion (which I LOVE).However, the name’s pronunciations is possible problematic.There’s a couple of ways it could be said
I’ve come across a Zenobia, so I can see the name being viable here.
Overall, I feel like I should love it – but I don’t.It’s ok.Someone elses’s cup of tea.
I’d probably go for Ariana which is similar to both Aria & Arielle which I have on my list. Ariana also has the historical place vibe that names like Shiloh & Alexandra/Alexandria to me.Ariana just sounds nicer & Ari sounds better than Ori to me.So, Oriana is ok., just not my vibe. Oh, I do like Aurelia, though
That’s a good point about pronunciations – and with “O” sounds, you’re at the mercy of regional accents. (I grew up drinking Flawrida awrange juice.)
I love Orion, too! And while the names aren’t related, I think the first Orient cruise ship to get an O name was the Orion, and I believe Oriana was the last … so that’s a (weak) link.
I know what you mean! I think this name would get said SO many ways where I live, because of the Afrikaans language. I wish I could somehow do the ‘o’ phonetic in English 🙁 Oddly, the Afrikaans way of saying it I don’t mind hmmmm
I love Orion, too! Oriana reminds me a little bit of those few girls called Ondrea and Ondraya, because their parents wanted the emphasis on the middle syllable. It’s not the case, obviously, but I suppose Ariana’s popularity might suggest the idea.