Ovid

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How to Pronounce Ovid

Pronounced OV-id /ˈɒv.ɪd/High

Meaning: Ovid takes its name from the great Roman poet Ovid — Publius Ovidius Naso — author of the 'Metamorphoses'. It is an English form of the Roman family name Ovidius, of uncertain meaning, sometimes linked to Latin ovis, 'sheep'. As a given name it is a scholarly, classical rarity.Low

In 30 seconds: Ovid is a classical name from the Roman poet Ovid, author of the 'Metamorphoses' (said 'OV-id'). It was a rare, learned boys' choice.

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Ovid

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Origin MediumLatin

MeaningOvid takes its name from the great Roman poet Ovid — Publius Ovidius Naso — author of the 'Metamorphoses'. It is an English form of the Roman family name Ovidius, of uncertain meaning, sometimes linked to Latin ovis, 'sheep'. As a given name it is a scholarly, classical rarity.

U.S. rank (1989)#8887 ↘ Falling

1989 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1915

Total births (all-time)≈ 741

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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ovid comes into English from the Latin family name Ovidius, borne by Publius Ovidius Naso, the poet exiled by the Emperor Augustus. American parents who chose it — often in classically educated or Southern families — were nodding to the poet and to the era's fondness for Greek and Roman names like Homer, Virgil and Horace.

It was always a scholarly rarity, drawing only a few dozen boys a year at its faint early-century peak, and it faded with the classical-name fashion. It reads today as bookish and antique, and it has not revived beyond occasional literary use.

Did you know? The name honors Ovid, the Roman poet whose 'Metamorphoses' shaped Western storytelling for two thousand years — a bearer whose fame, not a family tradition, put the name on the map.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Ovid — Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso; Latin Ovidius; classical revival name

Variations

OvydOvidio

Nicknames

Ovie

Famous Bearers

★Ovid (43 BC–AD 17 or 18)
The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso, author of the 'Metamorphoses' and 'Ars Amatoria', a major figure of Latin literature.

If you like Ovid…

Virgil— a fellow Roman-poet classical name of the same era

Homer— another antique poet's name used in that period

Horace— a like Latin literary name of the classical vogue

Otis— shares the short, vintage two-syllable sound

Explore names like Ovid

By themerare vintage literary classical

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ovid mean?

Ovid is a classical name from the Roman poet Ovid, of Latin origin (family name Ovidius).

How do you pronounce Ovid?

It's said OV-id /ˈɒv.ɪd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ovid a boy or girl name?

Ovid is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Ovid?

Ovid has always been rare in the U.S., a scholarly classical name most seen in the era of Greek and Roman names.