Oriana

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Oriana is primarily a female given name, widespread, even if not very common, in European languages.

[edit] Possible Roots of the Name

Its etymological origins are probably mixed. On the one hand there seems to be the Irish meaning of Blond or Golden, on the other hand there is the Latin meaning of rising (as in sunrise; see a similar word root in Orient).

There seems to be a connection between these two origins, given that the root ori may be an Indo-European root referring to the rising or colour of the Sun.

Things get even more complicated as in the languages of the Iberian peninsula, namely Spanish and Portuguese, there is the medieval Oroana or Ouroana, from Oro or Ouro meaning Gold, whose origin is the Latin Aurum, and whose root, Aur, may be related to Ori.

The English queen Elizabeth I was referred to as Oriana.

Variants include Orianna, Oriane or Orianne. Sometimes Orian or Dorian may be a male given name or a Family name, as in the case of Orian, Orians, Oriani, Dorian or Doria.