A puzzling Oracle mystery is: why are the oracles named after the Golden Goddesses? Is there some mystical relationship between the oracles and the Goddesses? In the creation story of Hyrule we have Din, Goddess of Power; Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, Goddess of Courage. In the Oracle games we have Din, Oracle of Seasons; Nayru, Oracle of Ages; and Farore, Oracle of Secrets.
The first thing one might ask is: just what is an oracle? This is where the dictionary comes in handy. One dictionary gives this definition of an oracle: a person through whom a deity is believed to speak. Another dictionary gives these definitions: one held to give divinely inspired answers or revelations, and a person of great authority or wisdom.
In the Oracle games, the three oracles don't really fit these limited definitions. They wield great powers, and use their power to maintain order in Hyrule. At times, their power seems almost god-like. So are the oracles deities? Are they avatars, or deities-in-human-form, of the three Golden Goddesses? The first thing to realize is that the three oracles are not themselves goddesses. They have finite lifespans. Ralph in OoA mentions that he has known Nayru since she was a little girl. Since deities are immortal, the oracles aren't deities. So are they merely deities in human form? My honest analysis is no, they are not. They never hint or show explicitly or implicitly that they are really goddesses masquerading as humans. They never even hint at having omnipotence or omniscience, as deities do. They behave just like normal people who have been given a huge responsibility - special powers which they use to keep the world at peace. Not to mention the fact that, if they were really deities, Onox and Veran would not be able to overpower them.
My conclusion expands the definition of an oracle given in the dictionary. An oracle, as it is commonly understood, is kind of like a prophet: they hear messages from deities and pass on the message. Or, an oracle has great authority (which means the right to wield power) or wisdom. The oracles in the Oracle games are given specific powers by the Golden Goddesses. The Golden Goddesses speak through the oracles by guiding their actions and the use of their power. The oracles are given wisdom in order to use their powers, and this gives them authority.
Now let's look at our original question: why are the oracles named after the three goddesses? There are several possible explanations. Since the oracles are, in a way, messengers sent by the goddesses, the names could have been given by the goddesses themselves, so people would recognize their authority. It's also possible that many people by this time had forgotten about the goddesses, and the oracles were given these names to remind the people of the goddesses' power and influence in the world. Another possible explanation is that the creation story is not known outside of the land of Hyrule, so the oracles are the only clue people have to the existence of deities that created the world.
The important thing to understand is that the oracles are not the goddesses in disguise. The Golden Goddesses only work through the oracles. Once we recognize this, there are many possible explanations for the oracles being named after the goddesses.
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