Ochún
/oʊˈtʃuːn/noun
A name for Ọ̀ṣun, the Yoruba orisha associated with fresh water, love, beauty, fertility, and prosperity.
Did you know?Ọ̀ṣun is especially venerated at the Ọ̀ṣun-Ọ̀ṣogbo Sacred Grove in Nigeria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where devotees honor her beside the river.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Yoruba
Ọ̀ṣun
“Name of a major Yoruba orisha and the river associated with her worship”
Precolonial period
Yoruba
Òṣogbo
“The Yoruba city and sacred landscape most closely associated with Ọ̀ṣun worship”
19th Century
Yoruba–European transcription
Oshun
“Anglicized spelling used in descriptions of the Yoruba deity”
19th–20th Century
Spanish
Ochún
“Spanish-derived form used in Cuban Santería and related Afro-Cuban traditions”
Modern English
English
Oshun / Ochún
“A name for the Yoruba orisha of rivers, love, beauty, fertility, and prosperity”