Long-eared owl (Asio otus), 
also known as the northern long-eared owl or, more informally, as the lesser horned owl or cat owl

The long-eared owl (Asio otus) is a medium-sized species of owl of the family Strigidae.
The bird has an extensive breeding range: Eurasia and Africa. 

The name Strigiformes is formed from "Strig", the plural form of the Latin word "strix", meaning "owl", and "formes", meaning "forms".

Strigidae: derived from "Strix", a Latin word for owl (also the same in Greek).

The genus name Asio is from asiō, the Latin name used by Pliny the Younger for a type of horned owl, the feather tufts on the head of these owls give the appearance of "ears" which is a defining characteristic. The possible origin is from ancient Greek οὖς (pronounced roughly as oos) is a noun meaning "ear".

The specific epithet, otus, is derived from Greek and refers to a small eared owl.

Otus (Latin) and Ōtos/Ὦτος (Ancient Greek) primarily refer to two distinct things: a giant in Greek mythology and a genus of small-eared owls. It stems from the Greek ous (ear), implying a "horned" or "eared" owl, or relates to the mythological giant known for being "insatiate".