Fun Facts About the Name Oc
- 24 babies named Oc: U.S. records list 24 babies given the name Oc from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Oc Mean?
Oc, also written Ok, is the name of a day in the Yucatec Maya calendar. It is the tenth of the twenty day signs that, combined with the numbers one through thirteen, make up the 260-day cycle known as the tzolkʼin. The day is generally glossed as "dog." That meaning rests on the match with the day signs of central Mexico, where the corresponding Aztec day is Itzcuintli, "dog," and on highland Maya calendars, where the same day is called Tzʼiʼ, also "dog." The glyph for Oc in the Maya codices shows a dog's head.
A competing explanation ties the name to a different Yucatec word. In Yucatec Maya, ok means "foot" or "leg," and some descriptions of the day sign treat that sense, rather than "dog," as the earlier one. Most references give "dog" as the meaning of the day sign; the link to "foot" remains uncertain.
Oc Name History & Origins
The spelling Oc reflects Spanish transcription of Yucatec Maya from the sixteenth century. The Franciscan friar Diego de Landa, writing in Yucatán in the 1560s, set down the twenty day names of the Yucatec calendar, and the tenth of them appears in his list as Oc; modern scholars frequently spell the same name Ok. The sign is older than that record: it belongs to the day signs painted in pre-Columbian Maya books, above all the Dresden Codex, where the days of the tzolkʼin organize almanacs and divinatory tables.
Maya day names served as personal names as well as calendar labels. The day on which a child was born could become the child's name, a practice recorded in colonial Yucatán and still known among highland Maya communities in Guatemala, where day names have also been carried as surnames. In this way Oc came into use as a name for people, not only as a label for a date in the calendar.
The letters also match words in unrelated languages: Occitan oc, "yes," which lies behind the region name Occitanie, and Old Irish óc, "young," familiar from the mythical figure Aengus Mac Óc. Neither of those words is connected to the Maya day name.
How Popular is the Name Oc?
Oc has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1921. Its best rank was #3,148 in 1921.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | #4,570 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,780 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1921 | #3,148 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1920 | #4,780 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with O
Short Boy Names That Start with O
How the Name Oc Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are patient, persevering and strong willed. You are a good student, absorbing knowledge easily and retaining it well. You are either a saint or a sinner. You tend to hold things inside and suffer in silence. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Oc's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Oc's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.