Oskar
Oskar was the 1750th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 93 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1191st with 160 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 262 places. More babies were named Oskar in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Oscar) Origin uncertain · Irish, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,750 boys, down 471 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 93boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2016160 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,241babies recorded
What does the name Oskar mean?
Oskar is a spelling of Oscar, pronounced the same way, so it shares Oscar's meaning and origin.
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
Oskar popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,750 | 93 |
| 2020 | #1,279 | 144 |
| 2010 | #1,320 | 130 |
| 2000 | #2,462 | 39 |
| 1990 | #3,914 | 15 |
| 1980 | #6,033 | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Oskar, counting every spelling?
Oskar is a spelling of Oscar, a name family that ranked #228 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,750 for Oskar 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 Oskar?
93 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Oskar (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Oskar 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 90 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Oskar.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Oskar?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Oskar are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 7 and 20. That makes Oskar 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.
Oskar by state
How common Oskar was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (7.3×), Washington (2.9×), Illinois (1.9×), New York (1.5×). In 35 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Oskar: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Oskar, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Oskar
What does Oskar 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 Oskar?
Oskar was the 1750th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 93 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 1191st with 160 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 262 places. More babies were named Oskar in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Oskar a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Oskar in the US.
Where is Oskar most popular?
In 2021–2025, Oskar was most common in Minnesota (0.48 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Oregon.