Oscar
Oscar was the 223rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,620 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 2006 (3,601). Over the last ten years it has moved down 42 places. More babies were named Oscar in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Irish, Old English
Say it AHS-ker /ˈɑskər/
- Rank in 2025
- #223 boys, down 9 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,620boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20063,601 babies
- Total since 1880
- 214,168babies recorded
What does the name Oscar mean?
Oscar combines two unrelated names, Wiktionary explains. One is Irish Oscar, the grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill in legend, often analyzed as os, 'deer', and cara, 'friend'. The other is Old English Osgar, from os, 'god', and gar, 'spear'. James Macpherson's Ossian poems of the 1760s revived the Irish name, and Napoleon, who admired them, chose it for his godson, later King Oscar I of Sweden. Wiktionary calls the exact origin uncertain.
os (Middle Irish, “deer”)cara (Middle Irish, “friend”)ōs (Old English, “god”)gār (Old English, “spear”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two separate sources (Irish and Old English); the Irish analysis 'deer friend' is a proposal.
Related names: Oskar, Óscar, Osgar, Ossie.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Oscar', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Oscar (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Oscar
The usual nicknames for Oscar are Ozzy and Ossie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Oscar in the last five years, 28 were named Ozzy, against 2 twenty years earlier.
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Oscars go by each one.
Oscar popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,070 since 1886.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #223 | 1,620 |
| 2020 | #214 | 1,766 |
| 2010 | #147 | 2,665 |
| 2000 | #122 | 3,178 |
| 1990 | #135 | 2,328 |
| 1980 | #176 | 1,396 |
| 1970 | #225 | 1,042 |
| 1960 | #245 | 1,066 |
| 1950 | #192 | 1,103 |
| 1940 | #167 | 936 |
| 1930 | #124 | 1,467 |
| 1920 | #90 | 2,006 |
| 1910 | #73 | 505 |
| 1900 | #47 | 563 |
| 1890 | #29 | 628 |
| 1880 | #29 | 544 |
How popular is Oscar, counting every spelling?
Oscar is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #228 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #223 for Oscar on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,713 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar | 1,620 | #223 | 8,580 |
| Oskar | 93 | #1,750 | 572 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Oscar?
1,620 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Oscar (0.45 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Oscar born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Oscar.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Oscar?
About 138,900 people born in the US named Oscar are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 17 and 44. That makes Oscar mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Oscar by state
How common Oscar was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.8×), Arizona (1.7×), New Mexico (1.7×), Oregon (1.6×), Massachusetts (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Delaware, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Oscar: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Oscar, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Oscar · Sibling names for Oscar
Questions about the name Oscar
What does Oscar mean?
The origin of Oscar is uncertain: two separate sources (Irish and Old English); the Irish analysis 'deer friend' is a proposal.
How popular is the name Oscar?
Oscar was the 223rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,620 babies. Its best year was 1886, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 2006 (3,601). Over the last ten years it has moved down 42 places. More babies were named Oscar in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Oscar a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Oscar in the US.
Where is Oscar most popular?
In 2021–2025, Oscar was most common in District of Columbia (2.78 per 1,000 boys), followed by Vermont and Arizona.