'owl' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'ūle', where the form imitated the bird's call.

'owl' changed from Old English 'ūle' (and related Old Germanic forms from Proto-Germanic *ūlą) and eventually became the modern English word 'owl'.

Initially it referred to the bird (and by imitation its call); over time the core meaning as the name of the bird has largely remained the same.